


■ 



Stf** 




CHILCOTT'S DESCRIPTIVE 

HISTORY OF BRISTOL, 

Ancient attTJ Jj¥tottem; 

OR, 

A GUIDE TO BRISTOL, CLIFTON, & THE HOTWELLS : 

WITH 

TOPOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OP THE NEIGHBOURING VILLAGES, ETC, 

Illustrated with Maps, Copper and Wood Engravings. 



SEVENTH EDITION, WITH ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS, 




Equestrian Statue of King William III. in Queen Square. 

PUBLISHED BY J. CHILCOTT, 20, CLARE STREET, BRIST' 




O^rrr^^- " -■ 



IB A wo 



?</ 



TO THE READER. 



The Compiler of the following pages has attempted to com- 
bine a popular Guide with a descriptive history of the origin, 
boundary, extension, public buildings, the domestic history, 
habitations, and manners, of Ancient Bristol ; he has also 
endeavoured to describe the public companies, principal insti- 
tutions, natural beauties, and topographical curiosities, of 
Modern Bristol, Clifton, and the Hotwells ; and to give a 
correct and succinct Account of the Bristol Riots, October, 1831. 
He has likewise inserted Topographical Notices of Clevedon, 
Chepstow, Piercefield, Wynd Cliff, Tintern Abbey, Ilfracombe, 
Portshead, Swansea, Tenby, Weston-super-Mare, and of the 
Villages, Noblemen's and Gentlemen's Seats in the vicinity of 
Bristol ; and every other local information which may be 
considered interesting or amusing. 

Bristol, 1846. 



CONTENTS. 



INTRODUCTORY. 

Page. 

Churches and times of service vi. 

Chapels ditto vii. 

Post-office Regulations 1 

Foreign Mails 2 

Omnibuses, Cars, Flys, &c ib. 

Steam Navigation — Coasters .. 3 

List of the Principal Hotels. . . . ib. 

Banks 4 

Savings Bank ib. 

List of Newspapers ib. 

— Public Buildings 5 

Markets ib. 

Literary Institutions 7 

Walks in the City 11 

Rides in the Vicinity 13 

ANCIENT BRISTOL. 

Original Name and Boundary 

of Ancient Bristol 17 

Bristol High Cross ..„ 22 

Bristol Castle 25 

Extension of City Boundary . . 29 

Remarkable Buildings 32 

Domestic History, Habitations, 

and Manners of the Burgesses 34 

Royal Visits, Charters, &c 43 

Bristol Riots in 1831 62 

Trials of the Prisoners 74 

Court Martial ib. 

Trial of the Mayor 75 

MODERN BRISTOL. 

Its Situation 76 

Extent 79 

Population 80 

Local Government ib. 

Commerce 85 

Great Western Steamer 86 

Great Britain Ditto described 87 

No. of Ships inward & outward 92 

No. of Removals from other ports 94 

Duties and Customs ib. 

Irish Imports and Exports .... 95 

The Tides 96 

Manufactories 97 

Coal Fields, Geology, &c 102 

Great Western Railway 106 

Oxford Branch to Do 108 

Bristol and Exeter Railway . . ib. 
Bristol and Gloster and Coalpit 

Heath Railway 109 



CHURCHES. 

The Cathedral ^ifo 

St. Mary Redcliff 128 

All Saints 148 

St. Augustine the Less , 153 

Christ Church 155 

St. George, Brandon Hill 157 

St. James 158 

St. John Baptist 165 

St. Mary-le-port 167 

St. Matthew 169 

The Mayor's Chapel 171 

St. Michael .* 177 

St. Nicholas 179 

St. Paul 182 

St. Barnabas ..., 183 

St. Andrew, Montpellier 184 

St. Peter and St. Paul 185 

St. Philip and Jacob 187 

Trinity, West Street 191 

St Luke, near Cotton Factory ib. 

Districts under Endowment Act 193 

St. Stephen 194 

Temple 198 

St. Thomas 203 

St. Werburgh ^ 205 

Chapel for Asylum of the Blind 253 

,, for Female Orphans. . . . 256 

CHAPELS 
NOT OP THE ESTABLISHMENT. 

Roman Catholic 207 

Moravian 209 

Wesleyan ib. 

Independent 210 

Countess of Huntingdon 212 

Tabernacle ib. 

Seamen's Floating ib. 

Welsh ib. 

Baptists 213 

Friends , 215 

Unitarian 216 

BIBLE, MISSIONARY, & OTHER, 

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES ' 217 

PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 

Council House .„.. 223 

Guildhall 224 

Bridewell „, 226 

Gaol ib. 

Exchange 228 

Custom House 230 

Old Excise Office ib. 

Post Office ib. 

Commercial Rooms 231 



VI. 



CONTEXTS. 



public buildings.— (Continued.) 

Page. 

The Arcades 232 

Merchant Venturers' Hall .... 233 

Back Hall 234 

Masonic Lodges ib. 

Theatre Royal ib. 

Assembly Rooms 235 

Bristol Library ... ib. 

Bristol Institution 237 

The Bristol Athenaeum 241 

The Bristol Academy of Fine Arts 243 

Bristol Barracks 244 

Victoria Rooms ib. 

Bristol Cemetery 246 

Hospitals *.. 247 

Charities 252 

Public Schools... 260 

Almshouses, &c 273 

Painted Portraits in the Cham- 
ber of Bristol, with Biogra- 
phical Sketches 276 

HOTWELLS. 

The Hotwells ...... 283 

Property of the Water and its 

effects......* 285 

Specific for various Diseases . . 287 
Lines by Lord Palmerston on 

the Death of his Lady 288 

Terms for Drinking the Water 

and Bathing 289 

Gloucester Hotel , 293 

Cumberland Hotel ib. 

York Hotel ib. 

Boarding and Lodging Houses ib. 
Beauty of the Scenery .... 294, 303 

Dowry Chapel, Dowry Square 296 

Trinity Church 297 

Hope Chapel 298 

Grenville Chapel ib. 

St. Vincent's Rocks 299 

Suspension Bridge 301 

Bristol Stones 283,304 

Plants growing at Clifton .... 305 

West's Observatory, Clift.Down 312 

Cook's Folly 3 18 

Sea Mills 319 

CLIFTON. 

The Crescents, Paragon, Sec. .. 321 

Clifton Church 323 

St. John's, Durdham Down.... ib. 

Christ Church, Clifton Park .. 324 

Clifton Hotel, Mall 325 

Bath Hotel - . . ib. 

Boarding and Lodging Houses 326 

Post Office ib. 

Assembly Rooms ; Subscription, 
Billiard, Card, and Reading 

Rooms ; Rides and Walks . . 327 

Sion Spring ib. 



clifton.— ( Continued J 

Page. 

Lane & Co's Library and Read- 
ing Room 328 

Mr. Lancaster's Ditto ib. 

Haggett's Ditto ib. 

Manilla Hall, formerly the resi- 
dence of Sir Wm. Draper .. 329 
Grotto of G. Goldney, Esq. . . 330 

Zoological Gardens 331 

Cars and Flys let to hire 334 

VILLAGES and GENTLEMEN'S 
SEATS. 

Abbot's Leigh 334 

Almondsbury 336 

Ashton, and Ashton Court ib. 

Badminton 338 

Banwell 340 

Bedminster 343 

New Church 344 

Berkeley ib. 

Blaize Castle and Woods 346 

Blaize Hamlet— Ten Cottages. . 347 

Brislington 349 

Brockley 350 

Burnham 351 

Cheddar 352 

Chepstow, Piercefield, Wynd 
Cliff, Tintern Abbey, Banks 

of the Wye, &c 356 

Clevedon 363 

Cotham 365 

Dundry 366 

Frenchay 367 

The Flat and Steep Holmes 367, 368 

Henbury 369 

Ilfracombe 370 

Keynsham 371 

Kingsweston 372 

Lamplighters 374 

Leigh Court, the residence of 

W. Miles, Esq., M. P ib. 

List of Paintings 376 

Newport, Monmouthshire .... 379 

New Passage . . 381 

Old, or Aust Passage ib. 

Portshead 382 

Redland 383 

Shirehampton 385 

Stanton Drew ib. 

Stapleton 387 

Stoke Bishop 38S 

Stoke House, near Stapleton . . 389 

Stowey - ib. 

Swansea ib. 

Tenby, Pembrokeshire 390 

Thornbury 393 

Westbury-upon-Trym 394 

Weston-super-Mare ib. 

Wick, or Abston and Wick . . 396 

Wrington ib. 



PLACES OF WORSHIP, 
WITH MINISTERS, AND TIMES OF SERVICE AT EACH. 



CHURCHES.* 



110 

148 

153 
323 

184 
183 

253 
155 
324 

296 
157 
158 

165 

343 
323 
19J 
171 

177 

167 



128 
179 
256 
351 
187 

182 
344 

185 

194 

203 
297 

191 

198 

205 



Same of Church. Where Situate, 



The Cathedral,.. College Green, 
5J ! In Summer, 

All Saints, .. Corn Street, 
M Thursday, 

St. Augustine, College Green, 

St. Andrew, Clifton Clifton Hill, 

„ .. i Daily, 

St. Andrew, .. JMontpellier, 
St. Barnabas, .. j Ashley Road, 
„ . . Wednesday, 

Ch. of Blind Asylum Top of Park St, 
Christ Church, .. iBroad Street, 
Christ Church, . . 'Clifton Park, 

.- Friday, 
Dowry Ch. Clifton, Dowry Square 
St. George, .. jGt. George St. 
St. James', . . I James's Parade 

„ •• I Tuesday, 

St. John Baptist > Broad Street, 

& St. Lawrence, > ! Thursday, 
St. John,(old Chur.) Bedminster, 
St. John, the Evan. King's Parade, 
St. Luke, .. |Nr.CottonFac. 

St " Mark, the > College Green 

Mayor's Chap. $ 
St. Michael, .. 
St. Mary-le-Port, 



Incumbents, 4"C. 



St. Matthew, . . 

St. Mary Redcliff, 
St. Nicholas, .. 
Orphan Asylum, 
Redland Chapel, 
St. Philip & Jacob, 

St. Paul," 
St. Paul, 

St. Peter, .'. 

St. Stephen, .. 

St. Thomas, 

Trinity, 

Trinity, . ! 

Temple, 

St.'Werburgh, .. 



Michael's Hill, 
Mary-le-portSt. 

Wednesday, 
Kingsdown, 

Wednesday, 
Redcliff Street 
Nicholas St. 
Hook's Mills, 
Upper Redland 
Jacob Street, 

Wednesday, 
Portland Squ. 
Bedminster, 

Wednesday, 
Peter Street, 
Steph. Avenue 

Friday, 
Thomas Street, 

Friday, 
Hotwell Road, 

Wednesday, 
West Street, 
Temple Street. 

Thursday, 
Corn Street, 

Wednesday, 
Districts constituted under the 



( The Right Rev. the Lord 
< Bp. of Glo'ster& Bristol, 
I Very Rev. J. Lamb, D.D. 
C rev. [Dean. 

\ H. Rogers, M.A. Vicar. 
W. Millner, M.A. Vicar. 

> J. Taylor, M.A. Minister. 
C. Evanson, M. A., P. Cur. 

> J. J. Coles, M.A. Minister. 

W. Knight, MA. Chaplain. 
J. Strickland, M.A. Rector. 

> Rev. J. Hensman, M. A. 

J. Taylor, M.A. Minister. 
R. L. Hopper, M.A. Vicar. 

\J. H. Woodward, M.A. 

3 J. B. Riddle, M.A. Curate. 

I G. N. Barrow, M.A. Red. 

M. R. Whish, M.A. Vicar. 
H. G. Walsh, M.A. Minister. 
S. E. Day, Incumbent. 

Chaplain to the Mayor. 

W. Knight, M.A. Rector. 

> J. Marshall, M.A. Rector. 

I J .B.Clifford,M.A./ncwm. 

M. R. Whish, M.A. Vicar. 
G. N. Barrow, M.A. Vicar. 
H. Livius, M.A. Chaplain. 
R. C arrow, M.A. Vicar. 
I S. E. Day, M.A. Vicar. 
\ R.M.Phelps,M.A. Curate. 
G.P.Bullock, M.A.Minister. 

| H. G. Eland, M.A. Min. 
H. C. Brice, M.A. Rector. 
Ic. Buck, M.A. Rector. 

I M.R. Whish, M.A. Vicar* 
§ W. Seaton, Curate. 

\ H. Allen, M.A. Minister. 
A. Rogers, M.A. Minister. 
\ Fountain Elwin, Vicar. 
5 L. K Cogan, B.A. Curate. 

I J. Hall, B.D. Rector. 
Endowment Act, see page 193. 



BlggJEFTUT® CHAFBLg, &©„ 



Page. 



209 



Name of Chapel. 



Wesleyan, 



Where Situate. 



210 

211 

210 
211 

210 
211 
»> 
29S 
212 



211 

214 

» 

215 

213 
215 

» 

209 

215 

212 
216 



- - \ 

: :: * 

Independent, j 

- " I 

- • \ 



„ Hope 

CountessofHunt 
ingdon. 

Tabernacle, . . 
WelshCalvinistic I 
Welsh & English, | 
Baptist, ** 5 

• :: \ 



207 



:; :: * 

» Welsh 

Moravian, .. 5 

Friends'Meeting,i 

Seamen's Floating, 
Unitarian, . . 

Jews* Synagogue j 

Roman Catholic, 



Old King Street, 
Tuesday & Thursday, 
Old Market Street, 
Wednesday & Friday, 
Portland St. Kingsd. 
Wednesday & Friday, 
Langton St. Cathay, 
Wednesday & Friday, 
Shim Lane, Bedmin. 

Tuesday, 
Hot well Road, 
Grenville PI. Hotw. 
Baptist Mills, 
Bridge Street, 

Tuesday, 
Brunswick Square, 

Thursday, 
Castle Green, 
Tuesday & Thursday, 
Anvil St. St. Philip's, 
Kingsland Rd. Dings 
Zion, Coronation Rd. 
Gideon,Newf.landSt. 
Highbury, Cotham, 
Chapel Hill, Hotwell 
Tuesday & Thursday, 
Lodge Street, 
Tuesday & Thursdav, 
Penn Street, 
Mond.Wed.Fri.&Sat. 
Broadmead, 

Wednesday, 
Lower Castle St. Wei. 

English, 
Broadmead, 
Tuesday & Thursday, 
Old King Street, 

Thursday, 
Counter Slip, 
Monday & Wednesd. 
Thrissel Street, 
Pithay, 

Monday & Wednesd. 
Gt. George St. Pk. St 

Wednesday, 
St. Augustine's Place, 
Upper Maudlin St. 
Upper Maudlin St. 

Wednesdays, 
Rosemary Street, 
Tuesday and Friday, 
Grove, 

Lewin's Mead, 
Temple St. Friday, 
Sunset, Saturday, 
Trenchard Street, 9, 
End Park PI. Clift. 9, 
'St. Mary, Au gust. Back 



Times of 
Service. 



Ministers. 



j (Various.) 

\ - 



> REVERENDS 

3 H. I. Roper. 

> T. Haynes. 

I J. Jack. 
J.Tayler. 
T. E. Thoresby. 
G. Wood. 
A. Stone. 
D. Thomas. 

> W. Gregory. 
>W. Lucy. 
>( Various.) 

} - 

> W. Jones. 

J E. Giles. 
I T. S. Crisp. 

| G. H. Davis. 

T. Winter. 
W. H. Fuller. 
^ E. Probert. 
JH. Craik. 
tC. Miiller. 

C Various.) 
>J. Cunow. 

|r Various.) 

G. Armstrong. 

V — Green. 

E. Medcalfe. 
T. Macdonald. 
P. O'Farrel. 



POST-OFFICE, BRISTOL, 
THOMAS TODD WALTON, Jun. Esq. POSTMASTER. 



THE DELIVERIES. 

First Delivery— at 7h. a.m. comprises letters (per Pembroke Mail) 
from South Wales ; also (per first London Railway Mail) from London 
and the line of road east and south of England, Bath, &c. ; also from the 
Mediterranean, Portugal, and the East and West Indies, (per first Bristol 
and Exeter Railway Mail) from Exeter and south and west of England. 

Second Delivery — at 7h. 30m. a.m. comprises letters (per first North 
Mail) from Scotland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Liverpool, Manchester, Bir- 
mingham, North Wales, Cheltenham, Worcester, Gloucester, &c. ; also from 
North America, (per Southampton Mail) from Southampton, Salisbury, 
Bath, Keynsham, Brislington, &c. 

Third Delivery— at 2h. p.m. comprises letters (per Hereford Mail) 
from Middle Counties of Wales, Monmouth, Chepstow,Westbury-on-Trym, &c. 

Fourth Delivery— at 3h. 30m. p.m. comprises letters (per second Lon- 
don Railway Mail) from London and southern and eastern parts of England, 
Bath, &c. also from France, the Continent of Europe, &c. 

Fifth Delivery— at 5h. p.m. comprises letters (per second North Mail) 
from Liverpool, Birmingham, Worcester, Gloucester, Cheltenham, &c. 

Sixth Delivery— at 7h. p.m. comprises letters (per second Bristol and 
Exeter Railway Mail) from Falmouth, Plymouth, Exeter, south-western 
parts of England, Taunton, Bridgwater, Highbridge, Weston-super-Mare, &c; 
(per Bath and Bitton Mail) from Bath, St. George's, Gloucestershire, 
Bitton, Hanham, Willsbridge, &c. (per Swansea Mail) from southern parts 
of Wales. 

By Letter Carriers. — Three deliveries daily, commencing about 8h. 
a.m., 3h. 30m. p.m., and 7h. p.m. Town letters posted before 7h. a.m. 
are included in the first delivery; posted before 2h. 15m. p.m. in the second 
delivery; and before 5h. 30m. p.m. in the third delivery. 

* # * When any delay occurs in the arrivals of the Mails, a corresponding 
vne must unavoidably take place in the commencement of the deliveries. 

The office for the delivery of letters to be called for is closed at lOh. p.m. 
The office is also closed for the receipt of paid letters at lOh. p.m. 

The Returned Letters and Overcharge Offices are open from 
lOh. a.m. till 3h. p.m.; the Money Order Office from lOh. a.m. to 
4h. p.m. 

THE POST-OFFICE RECEIVING HOUSES. 
Situations. Receivers. Letters sent to Gen. Office at 

A.M. 

Park Street G. Pearce 5 . 

•Clifton R. Hazard 5 . 

Hotwells, Dowry Square.. W. Fox 5 . 

Kingsdown, Alfred Place.. T.Adams 5 . 

St. Philip's, West Street.. T. Hillman 5 . 

Store's Croft E. Ryland 5 . 

Cathay J.Atkins 5 . 

Bedminster East, Ditto .. J. Huxtahle ... . 6 . 

Stapleton Road Lucy Chinn .... .. 

Redland, Durdham Down.. W. Newman .. 6— 11.. 

* Clifton is a " Sub-Office*' to Bristol, and pays and draws Money Orders. 



P.M. 


P.M. 


4 


.. 9 


4 


.. 9 


4 


.. 9 


4 


.. 9 


4 


.. 9 


4 


.. 9 


4 


.. 9 


4 


.. 6 


4 


.. 


4 


.. 8 



CHILCOTT's BRISTOL GUIDE. 



THE DESPATCHES. 

The following are the hours for the daily Arrivals and Departures of 

the Mails :— 











Time till 








Letters should 


which Lettere 


MAILS. 


RECEIVED AT 


DESPATCHED 


be Posted 


are received 






AT 


before 


with a Fee of 
Id.* 




H. M. 


H. M. 


H. M. 


H. M. 


Exeter 


midnight. 

1 — 15 A.M. 
6— A.M. 


10— P.M. 


9—15 


9—45 




8—10 A.M. 
6—40 P.M. 


7—10 
5—40 


7 40 


North and Irish 


6—10 


Southampton 


6-35 A.M. 


5—35 P.M. 


4—35 


5- 5 


Birmingham and Bristol.. 


4 — P.M. 


10—30 A.M. 


9—30 


10— 


Hereford 


noon. 


3—20 P.M. 


2—20 


2—50 


Second London 


2—40 p M. 


10— P.M. 


9—15 


9—45 


Devonport 


5 — 55 P.M. 


7—30 A.M. 


7— 


7— 


Bath and Bitton 


6 — P.M. 


7—30 A.M. 


7— 


7— 


Swansea 


4—50 P.M. 


7—50 A.M. 


7— 


7—20 


Pembroke 


10—45 P.M. 


2— A.M. 


midnight. 




>i . r Clevedon & Portshd. 




4 — A.M. 


ditto. 




"§ ! ) Thornbury 

s a* / * r0Q -^ cton 


> 5— 30 P.M. 


7—30 A.M. 


7— 


7— 


<2 (.Partington Gurney.. 


) 








Bristol 1st delivery 




7—30 A.M. 


7— 


7— 


Bristol 2nd delivery 




3—15 P.M. 


2—15 


2—45 


Bristol 3rd delivery 




6—30 P.M. 


5-30 


6— 



* After which they are received as late as possible previous to the despatch with Fee of 3d. 

FOREIGN MAILS.— Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, Cadiz, Gibraltar, every 
wee | c ._ Malta, Greece, Ionian Islands, once a fortnight. — Egypt and the 
East Indies, every month. — Jamaica, Leeward Islands, and La Guayra, 1st 
day of every month. — Jamaica, Leeward Islands, and Carthagena, J 6th day 
of every month. — America, 3rd and 18th in every month, except December, 
January, and February, during which the 3rd only. — Madeira, Brazils, 
and Buenos Ayres, first Tuesday in every month. — France, daily. — Belgium, 
Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. — Holland and Hamburgh, 
Monday and Thursday. — Sweden, every Monday. — Letters for Spain are 
forwarded by the Mediterranean Packet, unless directed via France. 

Newspapers to South America and United States require a postage of 2d. 
which must be paid in advance. 



Omnieuses from the Terminus of the Great Western, Bristol and Exeter, 
and Bristol and Gloucester Railway Companies, go to and come from Clifton, 
the Hotwells, Cumberland Basin, (from whence sail the various Steam 
Packets,) all parts of Kingsdown, Stoke's Croft, Montpellier, &c. almost 
every hour iu the day, from the time the first train starts in the morning till 
the last train arrives in the evening. The charge for either of the above 
distances is 6d. for each person 

There are numerous Cars or Flys privileged by the Company to be within 
the yard of their Railway Terminus, for the conveyance of passengers. 

There are several Omnibuses from and to Shirehampton, Henbury, West- 
bury, &c. daily.— White Lion, Broad Street, and Plume of Feathers, Wine 
Street, Bristol. There are also Omnibuses or Cobourgs, daily, from and to 
nearly all the villages surrounding the city, to the distance of several miles. 

Hackney Coaches and Cars are placed at various stations, and are 
licensed to ply for hire to the distance of ten miles beyond the city bounds. 
The charge is for time or distance, at the option of the driver, being Is. per 
iiile, or Is. 6d. per hour. Three persons are considered the limit of a fare. 



STEAM NAVXGATION.-COAST£RS. 



Place. 

IRELAND. 

Doblin 

Cork 

Waterford 

WALES. 
Cardiff 



FROM CUMBERLAND BASIN. 
Time of Sailing. 



Office. 



Every Friday Steam Nav. Comp. Quay 

Tuesday and Friday ... 
Tuesday and Friday . . . 



♦Swansea . 



Aberavon, &c 

Carmarthen 

Tenby 

Milford, Pater, and 
Haverfordwest .... 

Newport 

„ (Screw) .... 

Chepstow 

Portshead 



NORTH DEVON AND 
CORNWALL. 

Ilfracombe and Bideford 

tSt. Ives, Hayle, Pen- "J 

zance, Helston, Pen- ( 

ryn, Falmouth,Truro, C 

Redruth, &c ) 

Padstow,St.lves,& Hayle 
St. Ives and Hayle . . 

LIVERPOOL, calling 
at Swansea & Milford 



Monday, Wed. & Friday 
Tuesday, Thurs. & Sat... 
Tuesday and Friday .... 
Thursday and Saturday. . 

Saturday 

Friday 

Tuesday and Friday .... 

Tuesday 

Twice every day 

Daily 

Daily in Summer 

Daily in Summer 



12, Quay Street 

Bull Wharf, Redcliff St. 

Mr.Terrell^S.WelshBack 

Bull Wharf, &12,Quay St. 

Bell Avenue, Queen Sq. 

Steam Nav. Comp. Quay 



" [Hotwells 
J.JoneSjRownhamWnarf, 
Bell Avenue & Bat. Basin 
J.Jones, Rownham Wharf, 

„ [Hotwells 



£ Wednesday & Saturday > General Steam Naviga- 
... S tion Company, Quay 



\ in Summer 
Friday- 



Tuesday 

Friday 5, Narrow Quay 



82, Quay 



Tuesday 2, St. Stephen Street 



* Steamers cross from Swansea to Ilfracombe and back, Mondays and 
Wednesdays. 

+ This and the two following steamers call at Lynmouth and Ilfracombe 
going and coming, if the weather permits. 

%* Individuals or parties may hire wherries at the Stairs opposite St. 
Augustine's Parade, or at Prince's Street Bridge, to convey them to Cum- 
berland Basin any hour in the day; if a single person 6d. — if more than one 
person 3d. each. Wherries may be also hired at the old Bristol Bridge for 
Hanham, &c. &c. at moderate charges. 



PRINCIPAL 
Bath Hotel, Clifton. 
Clifton Royal Hotel, Mall. 
Cumberland & Great Western 

Hotel, Cumberland Basin. 
Full Moon, North St., Stoke's Croft 
George Inn, Temple Gate. 
Gloucester Hotel, Hotwells. 
Greyhound Inn & Birmingham 

Hotel, Broadmead. 
Montague Tavern, Kingsdown. 
Royal Western Hotel, College 

Place, College Green. 



HOTELS. 

Rummer Tavern, High Street. 

Saracen's Head, Temple Gate. 

Swan Hotel and Commercial 
House, top of Bridge Street. 

Talbot Inn, Bath Street. 

Victoria Temperance Hotel, 
Corner of Bath Street. 

White Hart Inn and Commer- 
cial Tavern, Broad Street. 

White Lion Inn and British 
Coffee House, Broad Street. 

York Hotel, Dowry Square. 



CHILCOTT S BRISTOL GUIDE. 



BASTES. 

Bristol Banks. Situation. 

Bank of England Branch, Broad Street, 

Baillie, Ames, and Co.* Corn Street, 

National Prov. Bank of England, 46, High Street, 
Miles, Harford, Battersby, & Co. Corn Street, 

Stuckey's Banking Company, { ^I'^g j 

West of England and South > p v >, n „ a ~ „, c . _. TT „.„ 
Wales District Bank, $ Exchange, Corn St. Glyn, Halhfax, & Co. 

* The original firm of this establishment, formed in 1750, was Mr. Isaac Elton, Mr. Harford 
Lloyd, Mr. William Miller, Mr. Thomas Knox, and Mr. Hale; Mr. Edye was their prin- 
cipal clerk. At that time there were only two banking houses out of London. 



Lond. Correspondents* 
Bank of England. 
Grote, Prescott, & Co. 
Barnett,Hoares,& Co. 

• Robarts, Curtis, & Co. 



SAVINGS BANK, St. Stephen's Avenue. 

No. of Depositors. classification. £ s. d. 

5007 Depositors, whose respective balances on > « OA . . nnn , m 

Nov. 20, 1845, with Int. did not exceed \ £20 each ' 34 > 990 J 6 

2508 were above £20 and not exceeding £50 ditto, 8,414 7 6 

1342 Ditto £50 ditto £100 ditto, 94,273 5 4 

459 Ditto £100 ditto £150 ditto, 55,189 8 9 

334 Ditto £J50 ditto £200 ditto, 57,554 4 2 

36 were above £200 ditto, 7,782 6 11 

9686 £328,203 14 2 

62 Charitable Societies 4,728 3 7 

79 Friendly Societies 14,348 3 9 

9827 £347,280 1 6 



NEWSPAPERS. 

Felix Farley's Bristol Journal, Saturday, . . Conservative. 

The Bristol Mirror, Saturday, . . Conservative. 

The Bristol Times, Saturday, .. Conservative. 

The Bristol Mercury, ..,. Saturday, .. Liberal. 

The Bristol Gazette, Wednesday Even. Liberal. 

Great Western Advertiser, Saturday, . . Commercial, 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS, MARKETS <*cc. 




EXCHANGE— described p. 228. 

The MARKETS.— Behind the last-mentioned building are 
the principal Markets, named the High Street and Nicholas 



b CHILCOTT S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Street Markets. There is also a Market in Union Street. The 
whole of them are abundantly supplied, and are kept very clean. 

In the High Street Market are three arcades, occupied by 
farmers, for the sale of butter, cheese, poultry, eggs, bacon, &c. 
every Wednesday and Saturday. The arcade in front of the 
south of the Exchange is termed the Gloucestershire Market ; 
that to the west is called the Somersetshire Market. The other, 
known by the name of the Eastern Arcade, is on the left, enter- 
ing from High Street. The butchers exhibit their meat in eight 
rows, made of wood, and covered in from the heat, wet, &c. by 
overhanging wood tops ; in front of which vegetables and fruit 
of every description are arranged for sale. 

St. Nicholas Street Market is very commodious, and com- 
pletely covered in. It is occupied by butchers and farmers, 
with meat, poultry, &c. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

The market in Union Street is only open for the sale of 
butchers' meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but is supplied 
with Fish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Shops also 
are open for the sale of Fish on the Welsh Back, Bridge Street, 
Baldwin Street, and at Clifton, every day in the week, and are 
well supplied. 

There is a building on the Welsh Back, opposite King Street, 
containing offices for the Water Bailiff and Corn Meter, and 
also for the sale of poultry, &c. imported from Wales. 

The Market for Corn and Flour is in the Exchange, under 
the piazza, where each corn factor has a depository to contain 
his samples, &c. 

The Cheese Market, leading from Maryport Street to Wine 
Street, is held every Wednesday and Friday. 

The Hay, Straw, and Coal Markets are held every Tues- 
day and Friday, in that part of St. James's Church-yard where 
the Fair was formerly held. 

The New Cattle Market fronts the New Cut, to the left of 
the iron bridge, leading to Bath, and stands on about four acres 
of ground. In the centre of the entrance is a neat dwelling- 
house for the clerk of the market. On either side of the house 
is a large iron gate, eighteen feet wide. The colonnade, com- 
mencing from the gate, contains one hundred and forty pillars 
of Hanham stone. On the left of the entrance, accommodation 
is provided for seven thousand sheep, two thousand of which 
may be placed under cover. There is also space for five 
thousand pigs. Room for three hundred horses is likewise 
provided, with a trotting course of one hundred and forty yards 
in length, and thirty feet in width. The remainder is occupied 
by five compartments for fat beasts, which will hold fifty each ; 
and ten for lean beasts, holding eighty each. Market day every 
Thursday, The termini of the Great Western, Bristol and Bir- 



FAIRS — WALKS. 7 

mingham, and Bristol and Exeter Railway Companies adjoin 
the Cattle Market. 

FAIRS for Live Stock are held annually, on the 1st of March 
and the 1st of September, in the Cattle Market; and a prodigi- 
ous number of cattle are usually brought in on those occasions. 
It is generally believed that there is more tanned leather sold 
at the Leather Hall, the first Tuesday in March and September, 
than at any other place in the kingdom. 

Fairs were formerly held annually in the Great Gardens, 
parish of Temple, commencing on the first of March, and on 
the first of September in St. James's Churchyard, which lasted 
ten days each ; and were usually attended by the manufacturers 
of Yorkshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire, and other places, with 
woollens, cutlery, earthenware, &c. &c. ; but as there are now 
facilities for frequent intercourse with every part of the king- 
dom, the necessity for their continuance no longer exists. 




COMMERCIAL ROOMS— particulars at p. 231. 



WALKS.— Passing the Post Office [p. 230], St. Wer- 
burgh's Church [p. 205], the Commercial Rooms [p. 233], 
and St. Stephen's Church [p. 194], we cross the Swivel 
Bridge at the bottom of Clare Street, and turning to the left 
we pass St. Augustine's Church [p. 153], and arrive in Col- 
lege Green, on the left of which stands 



CHILCOTT S BRISTOL GUIDE. 




THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH— described p. 110. 

And on the opposite side the Mayor's Chapel fp. 1711, {* 
both buildings,) afterwards to the 




PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTION, Park Street-Contents, $c. particularized p. 237. 



Leaving the Philosophical Rooms, we proceed up Park 
Street, and turn up to the left through Charlotte Street, to 
Brandon Hill, a mountain 250 feet in perpendicular height, of 
a conic form, and partly covered with bushes. Prom this elevated 
spot one of the most extensive views of the city and surround- 
ing neighbourhood may be obtained. On the western slope of 
this hill a very large and handsome building is erected, in the 
Tudor style, for the reception of the boys in Queen Elizabeth's 
hospital [see p. 265]. We return by the north-eastern slope of 
the hill through Berkeley Square, the houses on three sides of 
which are handsomely built with freestone ; the other side, 
which is to the south-east, is not regularly formed, leads us to 
the Asylum for the Blind [p. 253] and the Bishop's College 
[p. 261]. We pass on to Tyndall's Park Gate, where are the 




VICTORIA ROOMS— See description, p. 244. 

The walk may be extended through Tyndall's Park (turning 
to the right when arrived at a clump of trees) to St. Michael's 
Hill and Kingsdown, from either of which charming views 
open of the city and surrounding scenery. 

A walk from the bottom of Clare Street, turning to the left, 
round the Quay to the bottom of High Street, affords an oppor- 
tunity of witnessing the shipping and unshipping of goods for 
and from different parts of the commercial world ; whilst the 
valetudinarian may enjoy a peaceful and contemplative stroll 
in Queen Square, which" encloses an area of seven acres and a 



10 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

half, bordered with, elms, and railed in from the carriage way. 
In the centre of the Square, upon a high pedestal, is an eques- 
trian statue of King William III. habited as a Roman Caesar ; 
his right arm is extended, and in his hand he holds a truncheon, 
which he points as if he were commanding. It is wholly of 
cast brass, executed by Rysbrach, and is universally allowed 
by connoisseurs to be the best equestrian statue in this king- 
dom : it was set up in the year 1730. Towards its erection the 
chamber of Bristol contributed £500 ; the remainder was de- 
frayed by voluntary subscription of the principal inhabitants. 

Arrived at the bottom of High Street we cross the old Bristol 
Bridge [p. 30], and pass through Redcliff Street, on our way to 
the Patent Shot Manufactory [p. 99], and to St. Mary 
Redcliff Church [p. 128,] ("AHandBook" to which has 
just been published by the Compiler of this Guide). Leaving 
this church we proceed to Bedminster Bridge, and turning to 
the left on the margin of the New River, we arrive at the 




GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY TERMINUS. 

Opposite to which is the celebrated Floor Cloth Manufac- 
tory of Messrs. Hare and Co. [p. 101], and a little further on 
towards the city is the White Flint Glass Manufactory of 
Messrs. Ricketts and Co. [p. 100.] We then walk up Temple 
Street, to inspect Temple Church and its Leaning Tower 
[p. 198] ; and from thence proceed to the Bristol Pottery 
[p. 100], near the church, on Temple Backs ; and return over 
the New Bridge which connects the parish of St. Philip and 
Jacob with the centre of the city. 

Another interesting walk is down Broad Street, passing the 
New Building for the Branch Bank of the Bank of England, 
and the 



11 




MEW GUILDHALL— See p. 224. 

A splendid building, in the Tudor style, through, the archway 
of St. John's tower, and then turning to the right, we pass 
through Nelson Street, by the Bridewell, a new and massive 
building, into Broadmead, where, nearly opposite the Grey- 
hound Tavern, are the Arcades [p. 232], leading to St. James's 
Barton; on the right of which is St. James's Square, in a very 
retired situation, with its area pitched and an obelisk in the 
centre. In proceeding from thence up Stoke' s Croft, King 
Square is on the left ; the houses of which are uniform and well 
built, with an area covered with grass and gravel walk, bordered 
with young shrubs. In Stoke' s Croft is the Baptist College 
[p. 262]. Beyond Stoke's Croft, and in a straight line with it, 
is the Cheltenham Road, with numerous detached villas. A 
little to the right of which is Montpellier, with a church dedi- 
cated to St. Andrew [p. 184], recently erected ; and still more 
to the right, is a new church dedicated to St. Barnabas [p. 183], 
built for the accommodation of the inhabitants of Wellington 
Place, &c. Continuing in the latter direction, will bring us to 
the Orphan Asylum and Chapel [p. 256], and also to the 
Wesleyan Chapel [p. 209], Baptist Mills, surrounded by a dense 
population. Returning into the city, we pass into Portland 
Square, so named in honour of the Duke of Portland, who when 
it was formed was High Steward of Bristol. This square is 
built entirely of freestone ; the corners and centres of the fronts 
of the northern and southern sides are elevated by attic stories, 
as well as the corner houses of the other sides. In the centre 
of the eastern side stands a modern church, with a lofty tower, 
dedicated to St. Paul [p. 182]. The area of this square is nearly 



12 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

oval, and enclosed with a palisade of iron, with gates and lamps. 
We then pass into Brunswick Square, where is the Unitarian 
Cemetery and an Independent Chapel [p. 211], through 
Cumberland St., James's Barton, and the Arcades, to the city. 

Having conducted the visitor to the principal objects of in- 
terest in the city, we will now attempt to lay before him a de- 
scription of our beautiful locality. And first of Clifton. The 
views from different parts of Clifton are perhaps unrivalled; 
and the classic traveller will discover in the scenery about St. 
Vincent's Rocks, [p. 299], no inadequate resemblance, though 
on a small scale, to the celebrated Tempe of Greece. But the 
curiosity of the visitor will find a source of accumulated enjoy- 
ment in repairing to the Observatory [p. 312], on Clifton Hill, 
whence, for the trifling remuneration of one shilling \ he may 
obtain an excellent Camera Obscura view of all the surrounding 
objects, together with a splendid prospect of the most distant 
point an elevated situation and good telescopes can command. 

On leaving the Observatory, take a walk to the Zoological 
Gardens [p. 331], which is attractive not only for its select 
and choice number of animals, birds, &c. but also for the chaste 
and judicious arrangement of its shrubs, flowers, and gravel 
walks. From these gardens proceed over Durdham Down, in 
any direction, to the boundary wall ; and here a profusion of 
objects burst upon the view in all their interesting variety of 
wood and dale, river and rock, castle and hill. Immediately 
underneath is the river Avon, bearing on its surface numerous 
vessels, containing the varied produce of different parts of the 
world. On the opposite side are Leigh Woods, and Leigh 
Court, the princely residence of William Miles, Esq., M. P., 
[p. 374]. To the left are seen in the distance St. Vincent's 
Rocks, supporting the pieis which are to sustain the 




SUSPENSION BRIDGE— See p. 301. 



WALKS. 13 

To the right is Cook's Folly [p. 318], and beyond it Kings- 
weston [p. 372], Blaize Castle and Woods [p. 346], theMouTH 
of the Avon, Kingroad, Portshead [p. 382], the Denny Rock, 
and the Welsh mountains. Be careful in returning not to ap- 
proach too near the margin of the rocks, as an explosion of the 
gunpowder used in blasting the rocks may possibly throw some 
stones on your path. 

Opposite Boyce's Buildings is the entrance to the Mall, 
where is the Royal Hotel, a massive and splendid pile of 
buildings ; in front of which is a large enclosed area, planted 
with shrubs and evergreens, and on either side of this area is a 
handsome and extensive row of houses, of the first respecta- 
bility ; that to the south is called Caledonia Place, and the 
other to the west is named the West Mall. Proceed from 
thence to Gloucester Row, facing Clifton Down, passing Lan- 
caster's Library and Reading Rooms in Portland Place. At 
the end of Gloucester Row, on the left, is the Bath Hotel, a 
large family house ; from thence pass Lane and Co.'s Library 
and Reading Room, Sion Row, to Haggett's Library and 
Reading Room, Sion Spring [p. 328], and from thence down 
the Zig-zag walk which leads to the Hotwell House [p. 283] ; 
and here indeed, when the tide is in full now r , is one of those 
sublime picturesque views which would baffle the poet or the 
painter fully to describe. Prom thence proceed between the 
rows of lime trees to Cumberland Basin, the busy scene of 
departure or arrival in the various steamers ; or cross Rownham 
Perry, turn to the right, and walk between the river and the 
woods to one or other of the clean and neat little cottages 
situated on its margin, which silently invite the passer by to 
walk in and take a seat in a shady bower, and if necessary a 
cup of tea or coffee ; w r alk up the beautiful valley or combe near 
the cottages, called by some Nightingale Valley, and by 
others the Happy Valley, to two grand encampments at the 
top of the woods ; — one is immediately opposite to Clifton and 
called the Bower Walls ; the other is to the right and called 
Stoke Leigh Camp. Many pic-nic parties visit this spot in the 
summer evenings, and whilst the eye in delight ranges upon 
objects from below and around, the ear is no less charmed with 
the songs of the nightingale and other warblers of the wood. 

Another very pleasant walk is from Windsor Terrace along 
the terrace of the York Crescent (from whence the view is 
extensive and beautiful,) passing Lane's Library and Reading 
Rooms, and the Clifton Post Office, to Clifton Church ; opposite 
which is the house of T. Goldney, Esq., who kindly permits 
respectable strangers to visit a very interesting artificial 
grotto in his garden behind the house. The entrance to the 
grotto is adorned with rich and costly shells, the sides are em= 



14 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

bossed with Bristol stones, mundic, metallic ores, and petrifac- 
tions, and with various other fossils. The roof is finely fretted, 
and the floor presents a mosaic pavement. In a cavity at the 
upper end is a statue of Aquarius leaning on an urn ; and front- 
ing the door is the representation of a lion and lioness in their 
den. From the grotto is a subterraneous passage to a fine 
terrace walk, which lays open to view a variety of rich land- 
scape scenery. 

Should an extension of the walk be desirable after leaving the 
grotto, proceed to the nursery gardens of Messrs. Garraway, 
Mayes, and Co., near King's Parade, Durdham Down, which 
through the liberality of the proprietors are quite a promenade 
for respectable visitors, independent of the pleasure to be de- 
rived from an inspection of a collection of almost every species 
of forest trees, fruit trees, and evergreens ; hothouse, green- 
house, flowering shrubs, and herbaceous plants ; auriculas, car- 
nations, dahlias, hyacinths, pansies, and other flowers in their 
season, together with seeds of every description. 

RIDES. — A ride or drive across Durdham Down, through 
Stoke Bishop [p. 388], passing a fine old mansion, the residence 
of A. G. H. Battersby, Esq., and Kingsweston Park [p. 372], 
the residence of P. "W. S. Miles, Esq., M. P., to the "Look 
Out" at Pen Pold, and Shirehampton ; thence to Blaize 
Castle and Hamlet, containing ten cottages [p. 346], and 
through Henbury [p. 369] and Westbury [p. 394], back to 
Bristol, will very pleasantly employ about three hours in sur- 
veying a rich variety of natural and diversified scenery. 

A ride or drive over Durdham Down, through the village of 
Westbury, to the Old or New Passage, affords the richest 
scenery. Or, pass through Westbury to Knowl Hill, and 
thence turning off to the right, through the particularly neat 
and clean village of Over, to Almondsbury, (whence the river 
Severn, receiving the rays of the declining sun on a summer's 
evening, presents a dazzling mirror, almost too powerful for the 
eye,) and back to Bristol by the Gloucester road, through Horfield, 
affords a very pleasing variety of rural scenery. 

The drive across the hills to Portshead, Walton, and 
Clevedon, commands an extensive view of the Bristol Channel 
and the opposite coast of Wales. 

There are many pleasant villages to the east of Bristol ; and 
to those who enjoy a rich variety of rural scenery, studded with 
genteel houses surrounded by lawns, parks, and shrubberies, a 
ride to those villages will be highly gratifying. Proceed then 
from the central part of the city through Wine Street, Dolphin 
Street, Peter Street, Castle and the Old Market Streets, to the 
end of West Street ; pass between Trinity Church and Mrs. 
Hannah More's Schools [p. 270], down the New Road, — on 



RIDES. 15 

the left of which is the Gloucester County Prison [p. 83], 
Visit, if agreeable or necessary, the extensive Nursery Gar- 
dens of Mr. Maule, near the Blackbirds' Inn. About a mile 
beyond these gardens, on a hill to the left, is Stapleton House, 
the occasional residence of Sir John Smyth, Bart., of Ashton 
Court ; and a little further on is the pretty village of Stapleton 
[p. 387], in which, near the church, stands a Palace op the 
Lord Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. A short distance 
in the advance from Stapleton is Stoke House [p. 388], the 
residence of a former Dowager Duchess op Beauport. In 
1760 the greater part of it was rebuilt, in consequence of its 
being so much damaged in the civil wars. The woods and 
grounds belonging to the mansion are very extensive, and 
beautifully interspersed with statues, temples, and monuments. 
Further on is the handsome village of Frenchay [p. 367]. 
Returning from French ay to Downend, there are three noble 
residences, surrounded with grounds of park-like appearance, 
called Cleeve Wood, Cleeve Yale, and Cleeve Lodge. We 
next arrive at Mangotsfield, where there is a handsome house 
and lawn, known as Hill House ; from thence we proceed to 
the Fishponds, where is an establishment for those who are 
labouring under an aberration of intellect, under the care of 
Dr. Bompas. From the Fishponds we return again to Bristol. 

Visit the pretty village of Brislington [p. 349], which is 
about two miles and a half south-east of Bristol, passing the 
Great Western Railway Terminus, the Bristol Cemetery 
[p. 246], at Arno's Vale, and numerous detached genteel resi- 
dences, surrounded with walks, shrubs, &c. The village church 
and churchyard are well worth attention : in the latter is a 
tombstone, recording the age of Thomas Newton, who was 
buried here in 1542, at the age of 153 years. 

There are numerous other objects worthy the stranger's atten- 
tion, such as Mr. Miles's pictures at Leigh Court [p. 376], 
Banwell Caves [p. 341], Cheddar Cliffs [p. 352], Chepstow 
Castle, Piercefield, and Tintern Abbey [p. 356], Burnham [p. 351], 
Weston-super-Mare [p. 394], Stanton Drew [p. 385], &c. &c. 



EXPLANATION 



fell?IKllM©Ii 



TMI PLAM ©1? Ma§T©L, 



CHURCHES. 

A Cathedral 

B St. Augustine 

C St. Mark (Mayor's Chapel) 

D St. Stephen 

E St. Werburgh 

P Late St. Ewen 

G All Saints 

H Christ Church, Bristol 

I St. Mary-le-port 

K St. Nicholas 

L St. John 

M St. Michael 

N St. James 

O St. Paul 

P St. Peter 

Q St. Philip 

R Temple 

S St. Thomas 

T St. Mary Redcliff 

U Clifton 

V Dowry, Chapel of Ease,Clif 'ton 
W St. George 

Recently Erected. 

X Trinity, Hotwells 

Y St. Matthew, Kingsdown 
Z St. Paul, Bedminster 

a Trinity, West-street 

b St. Andrew, Montpellier 

c St. Barnabas, Ashley Road 

d Christ Church, Clifton 



MISCELLANEOUS CHAPELS. 

16 Muller and Craik's, Great 
George-street 

19 Ditto, St. Augustine's-place 

22 Roman Catholic 

120 Ditto, Under the Bank, St. 

Augustine's-place 

124 Ditto, Park-place, Clifton 

26 Unitarian 

31 Moravian 

40 Providence 

42 Friends' 

48 Welsh Calvinistic 

100 Jews' Synagogue 

107 Guinea-street 



METHODIST CHAPELS. 

29 Portland 

47 Ebenezer 

86 St. Philip 

1 1 1 Langton-street 

115 Hotwell-road 

116 Grenville-place 



INDEPENDENT CHAPELS. 

5 Hope 

21 Lady Huntingdon's 

39 Newfoundland-street 

4 1 Tabernacle 

80 Bridge-street 

83 Castle Green 

85 Welsh 

118 Anvil-square 

119 Kingsland Road 
123 Highbury, Cotham 
125 Zion, Bedminster 

BAPTIST CHAPELS. 

44 King-street 

SO Broadmead 

56 Pithay 

5)2 Thrissel-street 

93 Counterslip 

121 Opposite Richmond-terrace 

J.38 Welsh, Upper Maudlin-st. 



SCHOOLS. 

12 St. Augustine's Charity 

13 Red Maid's 

14 City Grammar 
20 Colston's 

24 City 

28 Elbridge's 

35 Barton 

38 Baptist Academy 

53 National 

84 Castle Green 

87 Lancasterian 

97 Colston's 

99 Temple-street 

105 Pile-street 

108 Girls* 

Bishop's College 



ALMS HOUSES. 

i Foster's 

i Spencer's 

7 Colston's 

7 Unitarian 

I Tailor's 

i Bachelor's 

J St. James's Poor House, (r< 
moved to Whitson St.) 

4 and 55 All Saints' 
7 Merchants' 

i St. Nicholas 

5 Alderman Stephens's 
J Trinity 

) Friends' Workhouse 

> White's 

5 Stephens's 

1 Burton's 

J Fry's House of Mercy 

J Canynge's 

i Redcliff 



PRINCIPAL 
HOTELS, TAVERNS, &e. 

3 Bath Hotel 

4 Clifton Hotel 

6 Gloucester Hotel 

15 Royal Western Hotel 

30 Montague Tavern 

36 Full Moon 

49 Greyhound Inn 

57 Plume of Feathers 

58 White Hart Inn 

59 White Lion 
77 Rummer Hotel 
81 Swan Hotel 

102 Bell Inn 

103 Talbot Inn 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 

1 Hotwell House 

2 S ion-spring 

7 Lower Rooms 

9 Clifton Dispensary 

10 Bristol and Clifton Oil Gu 

Works 

1 1 Late Bishop's Palace 

17 Philosophical Institution 

18 Medical Library 

32 Penitentiary 

33 Asylum for the Blind 

34 Infirmary 
52 Bridewell 

60 Tailors' Hall 

61 Guildhall 

62 Council House 

64 Commercial Rooms 

65 Savings' Bank 

66 Merchants' Hall 

68 City Library 

69 Assembly Room* 

70 Excise Office 

71 Custom House 

73 Theatre Royal 

74 Coopers' Hall 
76 Back Hall 

78 Exchange 

79 Post Office 

82 St. Peter's Hospital 

91 Gloucester Prison 

104 Wool Hall 

1 10 New Gaol 

113 Cattle Market 

114 Coal Gas Works 

122 Deaf and Dumb Asylum 

126 Great Western, Bristol and 
Exeter, and Bristol and 
Birmingham Railway 
Termini, Temple-meads 

127 Victoria Rooms, near Park- 
gate 



ife; if . t m t\ 




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i ' 






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H 



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A >' l'',w PT.AA 01' 



* ■' v. .,>." , . r / • ;-_., ' ' ""■-.. , ; " r " ■■ j . - .."'' : ' ■ \ I 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. 



Bristol claims the attention of the traveller, not 
only as an ancient borough, the site of some great 
historical events, but from its admirable situation 
and romantic vicinity; the Pyrenees themselves, 
perhaps, not affording more delightful scenes than 
are disclosed in certain points on the sides of our 
Avon, (a stream not unknown to song, since the 
boy Chatterton mused upon its banks,) especially 
during the autumnal season, when the grand and 
gorgeous sun-setting hues appear above, and are 
reflected by, the broad Severn, 

" dotted with, glancing sails" — 

the prospect beautifully terminating with the dis- 
tant and receding shores of Wales. 

The origin of the city is hid in great obscurity ; 
no reasonable inquirer will therefore expect much 
information respecting the place prior to the descent 
of the Romans. Tradition states that Brennus, the 
leader of the Gauls and the conqueror of Rome, 
b, c. 388, was the first founder of it, and that his 
c 



18 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUTDE. 

brother Belinus, 1 had some share or assisted in the 
foundation. Hence their statues even now may be 
seen, "quaintly carvelled," on the south side of the 
tower of St. John's Church, in Broad Street ; but 
when or by whom they were placed there is un- 
known : they are undoubtedly of high antiquity. 

It seems that the old Welsh chronicles make 
repeated mention of an inhabited place correspond- 
ing in situation with Bristol, under the designation 
of Caer Oder, which means the city of the chasm, 
or rupture, translated by the Saxons into Cliftown. 

Mr. Seyer, in his "Memoirs of Bristol," observes, 
" Thus was founded a British town on Clifton hill, 
the original settlement from which Bristol was de- 
rived ; and when this latter town began to flourish, 
and the old hill fortress to be neglected, it was 
easy and natural to call the new town adjoining 
by the old name, as happened at Salisbury, Win- 
chester, Colchester, and other places. It is curious 
to observe how Clifton, after having transferred its 
inhabitants to Bristol, and continued an unfre- 

1 " Our ancestors proceed from race divine ; 
Prom Brennus and Belinus is our line, 
Who gave to sovereign Rome such loud alarms." 

Dryden. 

Billingsgate, in London, is said to owe its name to Belinus. 
Like Romulus and Remus, these brothers also quarrelled, but 
the affair was not so fatal : their mother interfering, desired 
them to plunge their spears in her bosom, which affecting ap- 
peal was the means of their reconciliation. 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. 19 

quented village for more than one thousand years, 
is now receiving back its population, and re-assert- 
ing its claim to eminence." 

Caer Brito is another name assigned to Bristol, 
which signified the painted or embellished city. 
The Saxons seemed to have regard to the construc- 
tion of the word as w ell as the sound of the letters, 
in naming it Bright-stow, the illustrious city; or it 
may have received the name Caer Brito, the British 
city, separated as it was from, and so called in 
distinction to, the Roman city or station Abone, 
near it: Brit, in the old British, signifying also 
separated, and Britain, the separated place or isle, 
according to some. Thus the orthography of the 
word Brito might pass into Brysto, Brystoe, 
temp. Ed. Conf., Bryghsto, Bristou, Brightstoe, 
Bricgstowe, and Brigestow, early in the Saxon 
times: in 1106 Brigstou; in 1140 Bristowe. — By 
Florence of Worcester, in 1114, it is called Bric- 
stow. By Henry of Huntingdon, 1148, Brigestou. 
In King John's charter, granted in 1190, now 
extant in Latin in the chamber of Bristol, it is 
throughout written Bristallum : the Normans wrote 
it Bristoit. In Domesday Book, and in the ancient 
charters of Hen. II. and Hen. III., and in other 
public acts, it is called Bristold, Bristou, or Bristol, 
though the latter seems to have been most commonly 
used and is now adopted, the other names being 
considered obsolete. 



20 CHXLCOTT's BRISTOL GUIDE. 

It appears from Tacitus that there was a Roman 
camp at Clifton : he says that " Ostorius, about the 
year of Christ 50, extended his victorious arms 
upon the banks of the Severn, and secured that 
river and the Avon." And, in another place, 
" Ostorius took away the arms of those who were 
suspected, and restrained those on the rivers Avon 
and Severn, surrounding them with camps." Nu- 
merous coins also, of Nero, Domitian, Trajan, and 
other Roman emperors, have been dug up here, 
as well as in the neighbourhood of Henbury and 
Kingsweston hill, from time to time ; together with 
a curious urn, tiles, bricks, &c. which were unearthed 
on Clifton Hill, in the year 1783. Of the camp 
many vestiges remain at this day, on the summit 
of St. Vincent's rocks, Clifton, (the Caer Oder of 
Mr. Seyer,) and which, from its commanding and 
impregnable situation, is well supposed to have 
been the head-quarters. Having chased those in- 
habitants of Britain, whom they could not conquer, 
into Wales, it behoved the invaders to secure the 
fruitful western borders from the irruption of their 
expatriated enemies; though some writers affirm 
that their object was rather to keep down a spirited 
and troublesome race called the Cangi, 2 supposed 

2 The village of Keynsham, on the Bath road, is said to have 
been a station belonging to the Cangi. In the year 49, two 
trophies were erected by the emperor Claudius, in commemo- 
ration of his having annihilated this warlike people. 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. 21 

chiefly to inhabit Somersetshire. In either case, 
the Romans seem to have remained in this neigh- 
bourhood in very considerable numbers. 

About a mile from the Roman camp at Clifton, 
or station Abone, under the hills, and within its 
view, was the British town ( Caer BritoJ first laid 
out at the conflux of the two rivers, Avon and 
Froom, with which it had the advantage of being 
surrounded, except on the northern side, where the 
castle was afterwards erected. The ground on 
which the city was built rises each way to the 
centre, forming a pleasant hill, and thus contribut- 
ing to its cleanliness, as every shower washed down 
the dirt into the rivers, besides affording afterwards 
the advantage of making those large gouts or 
sewers, so convenient to this day. 

Having pitched upon this commodious situation, 
the inhabitants divided it into four streets, walling 
it round after the banks of the rivers, for its greater 
security and defence, placing a gate at the end of 
each street, and a church at each corner of the 
four streets in the centre, where Barrett and others 
state a cross was erected ; 3 from whence a sure 
inference may be deduced that those who first 
laid out those streets were Christians. A wall 
embattled on the top joined and enclosed the whole, 
which was not more than a mile in circumference ; 

3 As a memorial of gratitude to their beneficent sovereign, 
Edward III., the corporation of Bristol, in 1373, erected a High 



%% CHILCOTT S BRISTOL GLIDE. 

outside of which^ on the north-west side^ the river 
Froom, before the present Quay was formed, held 

Cross, in High Street, which, in 1663 was taken down, rebuilt, 
enlarged, and made higher, for the admission of four new 
statues. It now stood 39 ft. 3 inches high, and was protected 
with iron palisades. The cost to the chamber of Bristol for 
those improvements was £207 ; but whether this sum included 
the four new statues is not known. The order of their appear- 
ance was as follows : — 

North, facing Broad Street — Charles I., John. 

East, do. Wine Street— Henry VI. Henry III. 

West, do. Corn Street — Elizabeth, Edward III. 

'South, do. High Street — James I., — Edward IY. 
The Bristol High Cross had been for centuries the spot at 
which every event of importance, whether of a national or local 
character, was celebrated. Here was the scene alternately of 
gaiety and of sorrow — of triumph and of defeat. It was here, 
in 1399, that Wm. Lord Scroop, Earl of Wiltshire, and Treasurer 
of England, Sir John Bushy, and Sir Wm. Greene, ministers of 
Richard II., were beheaded, without trial, by the command of 
the Duke of Lancaster. They had fled to Bristol Castle for 
safety ; but after four days' siege they surrendered, and then 
were decapitated to appease the people. In the following year 
it was witness to the execution of Lord Spencer, for a conspiracy 
against Henry IV. — his head was sent to London. In 1487, 
when Henry VII. came to this city, he was attended by the cor- 
poration, " dressed in green, to the High Cross, where the clergy 
met him in their robes, and where was a pageant full of maiden 
children, richly beseem, and Prudentia had a speech compli- 
mentary." In 1542, Bristol, by sound of trumpet was proclaimed 
a bishopric at the High Cross. August 4, 1554, Mary and Philip 
were proclaimed here as Queen and King of England ; and on 
March 28, 1603, James I. was proclaimed here by Mr. George 
Snigge, the recorder, who was accompanied by the mayor and 
aldermen, in their scarlet robes, and all the city companies, 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. 



02 



on its course through the Fish Market, now St. 
Stephen's Street and Baldwin Street, to St. Nicho- 
las Port, and there it emptied itself into the Avon 
in full current, where was the confluence of the 
two rivers. It drove a mill erected for the use of 
the town, called Baldwin's Cross Mill, just before 
its discharge into the Avon. 

Thus St. Nicholas Street and St. Leonard's Lane, 
to the south and west, were the boundaries of the 
old city ; which being continued on to St. John's 
Gate, through Bell Lane, (in which was a church 
dedicated to St. Laurence,) joined, on the north, 
the tower wall in Tower Lane, — containing a strong 
gate in its centre and another at its upper end at 
the top of the Pithay, — and extending itself into 
Wynch Street, also called Wine Street, to Defence 
Lane, (now Dolphin Street) joined the city wall 
on the banks of the Avon, to the east, which 
was fortified with a wall round to St. Nicholas 
Gate. This formed the internal wall of the 



under their proper ensigns: — the two sheriffs also, in their 
scarlet gowns, stood in the High Cross, with his Majesty's 
picture over their heads, in sight of the populace. In conse- 
quence of the inconvenience experienced by its being placed in 
the centre of the city, where the four principal streets met, this 
beautiful structure was removed in 1736 to College Green. 
After remaining here, however, but a short time, it was again 
taken down, and after some time presented to that venerable 
antiquary, the late Sir Hiehard ColtHoare, Bart., of Stourhead, 
Wilts, who placed it in his park, where it still remains. 



24 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

city; the external, on the northern side, being 
constructed on the very bank of the Froom, from 
Froom Gate to Pithay Gate and Newgate, and 
thence joining the Castle ; and after the course of 
the Froom was changed for the purpose of forming 
the Quay in 1247, the outward wall ran in a line 
from Froom Gate straight along the Quay, where 
was a tower opposite the present Swivel Bridge at 
the bottom of Clare Street, to the Marsh Gate, 
round by King Street to the gate 4 on the Back, 
the wall there joining the Avon. 

On the north-east side the wall 5 was moted with 
a little arm of the Froom, by a channel made by 
hand quite round till it met the Avon, which skirted 

4 Bristol had sixteen gates in 1671, of which the following 
only now remain, viz. : — the Gateway to the Monastery, for- 
merly in Lower College Green, — a very interesting specimen 
of Norman architecture. It was built originally with the 
Cathedral, in 1142, but repaired and restored, according to 
Britton, between the years 1480 and 1520. It is much admired 
for the elegance of its finely curved arch, and the richness of its 
ornamental carving. In the niches above the arch are the efli- 
gies of Newland and Elliot. — St. John's Gateway, on which 
are erected the tower and spire of St. John's Church. — The 
Tower Gateway, at the end of St. John Street, is a plain arch 
in the thick old city wall, on which a lofty house is erected. 

5 William Wyrcestre states that the walls of the old town 
were high and massive, and protected by no less than twenty- 
five large embattled towers, round or square. Two of these 
towers were remarkable for their superior architecture, viz. 
Bagod's Tower, built on the wall opposite to the church of the 
Franciscans, and Vielle's Tower, erected near the Quay. 




ICHNOGRAPHYc///,, „„.,„,!/ CASTLE ^BRl STOW 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. XO 

the city on the south side, where the wall was con- 
tinued round the Castle; thus completing the forti- 
fication of the city. 

On the south side of the wall above described, 
ran the Avon, which parts Somersetshire from 
Gloucestershire : and during the Saxon heptarchy, 
Bristol was reckoned in these two counties or 
kingdoms: in the former were the Mercians seated; 
in the latter, or Eedcliff side, the West Saxons. 

Strong holds, in the more barbarous periods of 
English history, were objects of the greatest soli- 
citude to those in power; hence, from the for- 
midable fortress erected here by the Earls of 
Gloucester, our city becomes strikingly connected 
with the history of the country soon after the con- 
quest. But of Bristol Castle 6 hardly a vestige re- 

6 There is no mention of Bristol Castle in Domesday Book. 
Bristol is there assessed at five hundred marks. The Bishop 
of Coutance (Godfrey) is said to have built the castle by order 
of William the Conqueror, about 1069 or 1070. But it was 
Robert the Consul, or the Eed Earl of Gloucester, illegitimate 
son of Henry I., who principally deserves the title of founder, 
for he made vast additions to it, and greatly strengthened it, 
between the years 1110 and 1138, at which date it was com- 
pleted, when he received his half-sister, the Empress Maud. 
The great tower, or keep, was exactly on the model of the Tower 
of London, not much inferior in its dimensions, and is said to 
have been faced, at least, with stone brought from Caen in 
Normandy. It commanded the military possession of the west 
of England, and was the royal residence whenever the sovereign 
made a voyage to Dublin, before the conquest of North Wales. 



26 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

mains, though, its site can be distinctly ascertained, 
as being on the eastern side of the town ; the first 
and corner house of Castle Street on the left, as we 
enter it from the city, stands on the outward edge 
of the Castle Ditch, and from thence the fortress 
extended to the beginning of Old Market Street. 
The castle occupied the isthmus between the two 
rivers, along which was the direct and original com- 
munication between the town and the main part of 
Gloucestershire, through the Old Market and the 

Edward II. escaped from incarceration here, but was retaken, 
and suffered a violent death at Berkeley Castle. Richard II. 
held his court at Bristol. 

The castle was divided into two large wards, which occupied 
three acres of ground. The upper ward was entirely military, 
and the lower palatial, containing, as in the castles of Carnarvon 
and Conway, a hall, spacious apartments, and other appendages. 

The length of the hall was 36 yards, breadth 18. Height of the 
external walls above the windows, 14 feet ; in a state of ruin. 
To the left of the royal hall was the royal chamber, 1 7 yards 
long. There was a slab or table of marble stone, 15 feet in 
length, at which the king sate, at the upper end of the hall. 

There were two chapels, one for the garrison, and the other 
for the king and his court during their residence. The kitchens 
and offices were very large, and the constable's house in a great 
tower, now dilapidated, (unde magna pietas surgit!) the more's 
the pity ! 

After the reign of Richard II. it fell into rapid decay, from 
desertion both by the court and garrison : a circumstance which 
is noticed by Wyrcestre, and farther confirmed by Leland. The 
spacious site is now known by the names of the Castle Precincts, 
Castle Street, Castle Green, and Castle Ditch, or Lower Castle 
Street. 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. % k 

present Castle Street ; and the erection of the castle 
prevented that direct communication, and forced 
all who came to the town from that part of the 
country to pass to the right hand by the side of 
Castle Ditch, and along the Weir, and then by a 
steep and narrow way under the castle wall, until 
they entered the city by passing through Newgate, 
which communicated with the castle wall, and was 
in the power of the governor : this was the only 
road to the town in that direction, until the castle 
was demolished in 1656, when a communication 
was opened in a direct line between the Old Mar- 
ket and Peter Street, by the formation of Castle 
Street. (See Ground Plan.) 

William Wyrcestre's description of the Castle 
is as follows : — 

u The Quantity of the Dongeon of the Castell of 

Bristow, after th' Information of Porter 

of the Castell. 

" The tour called the dongeon ys in thyknes, at 
fote [the foundation] 25 pedes, [feet] and at the 
ladyng place, under the leede-cuveryng 9 feet et 
dimid. 

"And in length este and weste, 60 pedes [feet] ; 
and north and southe, 45 pedes [feet] ; with nn 
toures standyng upon the fowre corners, And the 
hyest toure callyd the Mayn, id est, mightiest 
tower, above all the fowre toures, is fyve fethym 



28 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

hygh [30 feet] abofe, and the wallys be in thiknes 
there, vi fote. Item, the length of the castelle 
wythin the wallys est and weste ys 180 virgae 
[yards]. 

" Item, the bredth of the castell from the north 
to the southe wyth the grate garden, that ys from 
the water-gate to the mayng rounde of the castill, 
to the walle northwarde towarde the blak-frerys, 
100 virgae. Item, a bastylle lyeth southward be- 
yond the watyr-gate, and contayneth in length 60 
virgae. Item, the length of the bulwark at the 
utter gate of St. Philip's church conteyneth 60 
yardes large. Item, the yerdes called sparres of 
the hall-ryal [the king's hall] conteyneth yn length 
about 45 fete of whole pece. Item, the brede of 
every sparre, at fote, conteyneth 12 inch and eight 
inch."— p. 260. 

Leland, who took a view of it in the sixteenth 
century, says : u In the castle are two courts ; in 
the outer court and north-west part of it is a great 
dungeon tower, built of stone said to be brought 
from Caen, in Normandy, by the red Earl of Glou- 
cester ; also a church and many lodging apartments. 
In two areas on the south side of it are, a great 
gate, a stone bridge, and bulwarks, on the left bank 
of the mouth of the river Froom (by which he must 
mean that part of it which runs into Lower Castle 
Street). There are many towers yet standing in 
both the courts, but all tending to ruin." We may, 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. 29 

however, congratulate ourselves upon its destruc- 
tion, for as long as it existed, it was the resort of 
robbery, cruelty, and violence. Suffice it to say, 
that in the reign of King John it was annexed to 
the crown ; that at the dissolution of monasteries 
much church plate was coined into monies, and a 
printing press set up within its walls, for printing 
of Homilies ; that Charles I. sold it to the corpora- 
tion for the sum of nine hundred and fifty-nine 
pounds ; and that Oliver Cromwell decreed its de- 
molition in 1655. Thus was the fortress destroyed, 
after it had stood at least six hundred years. 7 

Thus secured on all sides with every kind of 
defence by nature as well as by art, the old town 
appears to have been impregnable ; for in addition 
to its castle, its walls, and fortifications, it was sur- 
rounded by the hilly ground of St. Brandon, St. 
Michael, and Kingsdown to the west and north ; 
by Eedcliff and Pyle Hill on the south; and by the 
castle on the east. But the insular situation of the 
city obliged the inhabitants, from their increasing 
numbers, to extend the boundaries ; and buildings 
were soon extensively erected in the suburbs; par- 
ticularly in the parishes of St. Mary Eedcliff and 
Temple, which also becoming large and populous, 
had magistrates of their own appointment, the chief 
of whom was denominated "Praepositor," andexer- 

7 The constables were sent to warn every householder to 
assist in the demolition of this castle, personally or by substitute. 



80 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

cised the same authority, as well as possessed the 
same title,, as the chief magistrate of Bristol. The 
only way of communication between the city and 
those suburbs was a ferry, till 1247, when a strong 
stone bridge was built, with lofty houses on each 
side of it, and a chapel across the bridge, forming 
a gateway in the centre. This bridge was taken 
down in 1761, and the present one opened in 
1768, 8 when Bristol and Redcliff were united to 
each other, and placed under the jurisdiction of 
the magistrates of the former, by charter from 
Henry III. The next extension of the boundaries 
appears to have been on the side of St. Augustine, 
where, in 1148, a monastery dedicated to that saint, 
also a priory to St. James, and other religious 
houses began to be established, through the favour 
and opulence of great men, and the charitable dis- 
position of the people. 9 And wherever these were 

8 Besides the swivel bridge at the bottom of Clare Street, and 
the stone bridge at the head of the Quay, there are no less than 
thirteen bridges of one arch, with houses erected on them, 
which cross the Froom. 

9 "When the castle, the abbey of St. Augustine, and the 
priory of St. James were founded, a distribution of the town 
into parishes appears to have taken place, under the authority 
of the bishops of Worcester. Like Norwich and several others 
among the larger old towns, the churches were very thickly 
placed, most of them being of very small dimensions, and of the 
rudest architecture. As piety became aided by wealth, in the 
growing prosperity of individuals, fraternities and parishes vied 
with each other in re- constructing their churches upon the 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. SI 

erected, the inhabitants built their houses near them, 
from a persuasion that in such situations they were 

same consecrated ground. There were likewise perpetual funds 
for their embellishment, which were constantly replenished, 
' ad fabricam,' by testamentary bequests of the more wealthy 
inhabitants. Chantries for obituary masses were built, as 
additions to the several churches, to the number in some of 
them of seven or eight. Upon these shrines and altars the 
most delicate architecture and carving were usually bestowed, 
and remained to be destroyed either by the reformers and 
puritans, or by modern repairs. Several of these churches 
were very highly adorned in their interior parts. The richest 
particles of masonry were applied without regard to expense ; 
and the enlarged windows were decorated with stained glass of 
curious and brilliant imagery. Those churches in Bristol which 
are at this time the more remarkable for their beauty, were cer- 
tainly built about the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In an 
era when stained glass, representing scriptural stories and por- 
traits, were the coveted ornaments of all churches, those of 
Bristol were probably replete with that species of embellish- 
ment. It is not, however, certain that any manufactory of it 
was established here, but at Coventry, York, and London ; and 
much of the finer sort was imported from France and Flanders. 
From the facility with which it could then be procured by the 
merchants, we cannot doubt but that it abounded in all the 
sacred buildings in this town. Yery few fragments, however, 
now remain, excepting in the Cathedral church. Fanaticism at 
the Pveformation, and during the occupation of the town by the 
troops of Fairfax and Cromwell, and, more than all, the love of 
destroying and repairing by the same hands, and the interested 
motives of the repairers themselves, have banished the * dim 
religious light' from almost every window ; and the churches 
are now fitted up, like lanterns, with raw white or green glass, 
as evidenced in the windows of the churches of St. Atigustine's, 
St. Mary Bedcliff, St. Stephen's, and the Temple." 



3« CHILCOTT S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

more under the protection of the saints to whom 
those sacred edifices were dedicated. Leland has 
enumerated several religious houses in Bristow in 
his time. — Itin. 2nd edit, folio, vol. vii. p. 70. 

Of remarkable buildings for public accommoda- 
tion and correction, Wyrcestre, in the fifteenth 
century, named the following : — 

" The Tholsylle, where the mayor and common 
council meet from day to day, as it may be required, 
under a cover of a ceiling leaded over, opposite to 
the west door of Christ Church. Upon the bridge 
there is a fair and large room, beautifully vaulted, 
beneath St. Mary's Chapel, for the session of the 
sheriffs and jurats of the town to consult for the 
public good." 

"The Council House for the mayor, sheriffs, 
bailiffs, and principal merchants, is situate on the 
open space above the Tholsylle, opposite the chan- 
cel of All Saints' Church. 

" The Pillorye, near the oldest gate in the wall, 
in the middle of "VVynche Street, (Wine Street) is a 
round building, handsomely constructed with free- 
stone, both for dimensions and height, with cham- 
bers and windows artificially barred with iron : 
and upon the platform of the roof of this building 
is erected a collistrigium of timber frame work, in 
order to collistrige or pillory infamous men, espe- 
cially dishonest bakers." 

In the beginning of the eighteenth century, the 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. 33 

Marsh was laid out for building, and the houses 
forming the south-east side of Queen Square were 
commenced ; and shortly after Prince's Street was 
formed out of what was anciently the rope walk, 
and the greater portion of the houses in King Street 
were erected. In the year 1771 a subscription of 
£8,000, of which sum the corporation gave £2,000, 
was raised for erecting a new street (Clare Street) 
from Corn Street to the Quay. Previously to 
which, at the west end of Corn Street, stood three 
arched* gateways; forming together a triangle. 
The south gate led to Baldwin Street ; the north 
to the Quay ; and the east, which was the largest, 
and sustained the tower of St. Leonard's church, 
led to Corn Street. The latter was taken down 
in 1776, to lay open the new street, and the parish 
was consolidated with that of St. Nicholas. The 
altar piece was sold, and placed in the parish church 
of Backwell, Somerset. 

The hill of Kingsdown, and the parish of St. 
James underneath it, were very rapidly covered 
with buildings, including St. James's Square, King 
Square, and Brunswick Square, (the last begun in 
1769 and completed in 1788). The names of Ann 
Street and George Street leave no doubt as to 
the date in which they were built. Marlborough 
and Eugene Streets, in St. James's, remind us 
of the times in which those heroes flourished. 
Denmark and Hanover Streets, in St. Augustine's 

D 



34 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

parish, are no doubt also significant. The houses 
in College Green, Trinity, and Orchard Streets, 
with numerous others, soon followed. But the 
most extensive enlargement of the city has been 
within the last sixty years, during which period 
villas and streets have been built, and even parishes 
have been covered with houses and inhabited, 
round the very large suburbs of Bristol, Clifton, 
and the Hotwells ; and the population has nearly 
doubled itself in that time. 

Having attempted to give a topographical sketch 
or history of the origin, increase, and growing im^- 
portance of Bristol, it will not be uninteresting per- 
haps to offer a view of the domestic history, habita- 
tions, and manners, of the burgesses of Bristol in the 
early part of the fifteenth century, as left on record 
by William Wyrcestre in his Itinerary. 10 By such 

10 To William Botoner, otherwise "William "Wyrcestre, the 
historians of Bristol are under peculiar obligations. He was 
born at a house on St. James's Bee or Back, as it is now called, 
in Bristol, in the year 1415, temp. Henry V. He described 
every building he saw with painful minuteness, giving us the 
measurements by the number of strides he was compelled to 
make, in traversing the different objects. His manuscript long 
lay hid in Benet College Library, Cambridge : it was his com- 
mon-place pocket book, and the companion of his travels ; but 
written in so vile a character, that it required an CEdipus to 
decypher it. The late ingenious Mr. Nasmith, however, ac- 
complished the task and published the book, with Simon 
Simeonis, in 1778. Botoner died in they ear 1484. He is 
said to have been the first who translated Cicero's Discourse 
on Old Age ; dedicating it to Bishop Wainneet. 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. 35 

means we become conversant, as it were, with the 
forms of past ages, and " old things become new." 

The best possible evidence will be derived from 
their several wills, 11 now preserved in the archives 
of the corporation, from which such extracts will 
be made as may tend to elucidate the subject. 

Several of the principal houses have been no- 
ticed in Wyrcestre's survey. There were some of 
stone ; but they were usually of timber-frame, 
having their fronts very curiously carved, with 
overhanging stories towards the street. In the two 
succeeding centuries they were much more highly 
carved and ornamented. But the common mer- 
chants' houses, from the minute description given 
of them in their wills, were uniformly upon the 
following plan : " There were few without cellars, 
co-extensive with the whole area of the house, and 
excavated under the pavement of the streets, in 

11 The Book of Wills, or, as it is sometimes called, the " Or- 
phans* Book," is a very large and thick folio, bound in vellum. 
It commences with Testam. Johis Wodehous, May 8, 1282, 10 
Edw. I., and concludes, as far as they are written in Latin, with 
Test. Johae Kemson Vidua?, 1479, 18 Edw. IY. The mayor and 
common council were guardians of all orphan children of bur- 
gesses, supervisors of wills, and in many instances, residuary 
legatees. " Inveniendo securitatem Villce, sicut mos est et con~ 
suetudo." Extracts from Wills. 

"Tenementum meum, cum solario et cellario, shopis," &c. 

"Unum magnum tenementum cum 84 shopis." 

u Cum magno * vaulte/ In aula mea capitali." 

W. Canynge, 1475. 



36 CHILOOTX'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

which all the heavy goods were stored." Of such 
" cellaria," sometimes vaulted with stone, or other- 
wise covered with beams of timber, not less than 
one hundred and sixty-nine within the walls, ex- 
clusive of those in the piers of the bridge, and on 
the other side of the river, are enumerated in the 
Itinerary. It is a very curious fact, that subterra- 
nean Bristol nearly equalled its surface. All heavy 
goods were removed upon sledges or drays from 
the quays upon which they were landed. 

The ground-floor was entirely occupied by 
" shopae," which, from their number under one roof, 
must have been small shops, or stalls, which were 
let out ; behind was a very spacious room, called 
tc aula," or the hall, in which silk and woollen 
goods were placed, occasionally serving for the 
family festivities. Upon the first floor were the 
" parlura, coquina, camera," the chambers in which 
the proprietor and his own household dwelt. Above 
all, with sometimes an intermediate story, beside 
that under the roof, were those called " solaria," 
and allotted either as sleeping-rooms, or for the 
more valuable articles of merchandise. 

Wealth had then produced luxury, which was 
first of all exhibited in personal apparel, 12 costly 

12 The will of Henry Gildeney, 1430, affords a very curious 
and interesting evidence of the kind of wealth in which the opu- 
lent merchant or burgess lived. He possessed wearing apparel, 
personal armour, and plate, both plain and parcel gilt, of a 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. 37 

gowns of silk, and furs, basilards or short swords, 
with their ivory handles inlaid with silver, and 
embroidered girdles, by which they were appended 
in front. Plate, 13 gilt and embossed, was rare, and 

quantity and value apparently above men of his own rank. 
" Camelaukam meum de skarlett cum furrura in eadem." ( The 
camail was a large hood, covering both the head and shoulders, as 
is seen in all the portraits of Chancer ; and was so called because 
composed of earners hair. Scarlet was equally esteemed with furs 
for pelisses. The different kinds of valuable furs are specified, 
such as " gris,furques, martens, axi&ftchew;" but not ermine.) 
" Capitalem meam togam de skarlett, cum tribus bottyns, (but- 
tons of silver) cum furrura * de gris,' " (fur of the grey or 
badger.) " Alteram togam de sanguine cum furrura de martens.' * 
(Sanguine is usually called " color blodius," from its obvious re- 
semblance.) " Basilardum meum harnizatum cum argento, et 
optimum meum duploidem, et unum par novum caligarum. 
Alterum basilardum cum le yvori hafte." (A peculiar sort of 
short sword. This had an ivory haft, and teas garnished, orna- 
mented, or mounted with silver. Duploidem, a doublet or juste- 
au-corps, composed of canvas and chain mail. The shoes were war 
shoes, jointed with iron.) The basilard is seen in the engraved 
brass figures of burgesses, upon tombs. " Optimam armaturam 
meam cum uno poleax et lancea" (my best personal armour). 
" Zonam harnizatam cum barris argenti rotundis" (a girdle for 
the basilard, garnished with small silver ornaments, called barrels). 
" Togas pennulatas" (gowns, with hanging sleeves winged from 
the shoulders). In 1410, John Hunte bequeaths, " sellammeam 
cum freno, et arcum et sagittas et bokelere." 

13 Most of the opulent merchants had a display of plate, the 
articles of which were repeated, " secundo et tertio meliorem." 
It was placed as a deposit in the "buffetorium" (a word which 
occurs in some of the wills ; buffetorium et cistas meas, my bouffet 
and chests) ; or upon a standing cupboard at the head of the 
table, as well as upon it, and was a visible demonstration of 



38 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

specially bequeathed. Bowls, large cups for wine, 
saucers for drinking it, and broad plates and dishes 
for sweetmeats and confectionary, with small spoons 
appear to have been the only pieces. In some 
instances we have bequests of armour. Rich beds 
of cloth, silk, and embroidery, which occur so 
frequently in the wills of the higher ranks, 14 are 
not mentioned. It was usual for a husband to de- 
vise to his wife the furniture of his own chamber, 
ct totam cameram meant ;" but coverlids and best 
linen sheets are specified, and once or twice a best 
bed of tapestry work, with a tester. 

wealth, very gratifying to the possessor. " Duas potas argenti," 
" cou pam deauratam, cum co-opterio" (the cover), "unam 
zonam deauratam" (a girdle embroidered with gold), "ollam 
argenti continentem quartam vini" (a jug containing a quart of 
wine), "cypham cum co-opterio vocatum Bolle." — Walter 
Derby, 1385. 

" Unam calicem argenti (a silver chalice), unum pelvem de- 
auratam" (a gilt ewer). "Unum cyphum cum imagine Scti. 
Johannis" (a cup, with the figure of St. John upon the cover). — 
Alice Stokes, 1393. 

" Unum chargeriam argenti vocatam, Flat pece" (a dish or 
charger for meat) ; " dimidiam duodenam cochlearum" (half a 
dozen spoons) ; " unum discum argenti vocatum Sypcedisch 
deauratum, unum craterem argenti cum co-opterio swaggid" 
(chased or embossed); "cyphum stantem cum co-opterio et 
unam perlam in eadem." (This has been usually called the grace- 
cup of parcel gilt, and this had a pearl set in the cover) ; " patel- 
lam" (a small plate); "Belle pece secundo meliorem" (a small 
dish, of wrought or embossed silver ', to hold confectionary). — • 
Henry Gildeney, 1430. 

14 See Testamenta Vetusta. 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. 39 

Bequests for obituary masses and requiems were 
dictated by the same superstition as in other places. 
There was a certain rate paid for them in point of 
number and duration ; but the sums actually be- 
queathed depended upon the piety of the individual. 15 
Their legacies to their servants and to the poor were 
large, and extensive in their objects. 16 They were 
enjoined, for the relief of the lame and blind, 
mending highways, and giving portions with poor 
maidens in marriage. 17 The provision made for 

15 The legacies to the parish churches were chiefly vestments, 
richly embroidered, and service books. "To St. Stephen's, 
duos libros vocatus missales" (two books called Missals) ; 
" etiam sex paria vestimentorum, viz. : unus par develvett super 
velvett broideringe cum una cruce de redde velvett, item aliud 
de nigro velvett, broideryd cum una cruce de clothe of golde ;" 
the others were no less splendid. — J. Shipward, 1403. 

John Vielle, 1398, orders a thousand masses, and bequeaths 
" unum annulum ferentem unum lapidem de columpna ad quam 
ligatus fuit Dns. Noster Jesu Christus" (a ring, bearing apiece of 
the stone pillar to which J. C. was tied) to St. Stephen's church. 

16 " Johanni Berkley serviente meo £40; Waltero Bontflower 
serviente meo 66 marcs, 8 solid." — Walter Derby, 1385. "Mar- 
garetse Lewes unum lectum, 1 superlectulum, 1 par lodicum, 1 
par lenthiaminum et £6. Cuilibet puellae serviente meo 1 lec- 
tum" (a bed, one pair of blankets, and one pair of sheets, and six 
pounds in money. To each of my servant-maids a bed.) — William 
Coder, 1473. 

17 Walter Frampton directs many messuages to be sold and 
divided into four parts, " unam pauperibus caecis et claudis 
(blind and lame) ; 21m. in maritagiis pauperum juvencularum. 
3tiam, in emendatione viarum et pontium. 4tm. inter religiosos 
mendicantes" (four orders of whom were established in Bristol.) 



40 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

the payment of just debts was of prime consider- 
ation. 18 

That their obsequies should be solemnized ac- 
cording to the ritual, with care, if not with pomp, 
as in certain instances, was an especial direction. 19 
In order to avoid the manifest injustice of entirely 
alienating property from the children or relatives 
of the deceased, for the perpetual support of chan- 
tries and obits, the priests were contented, or found 
it their policy to be contented, with such estab- 
lishments for a term of years, with remainder to 
certain individuals of the testator's family, named 
in their wills; and in some instances, for pious 
uses in general, according to the discretion of the 
mayor and chief burgesses for the time being, 20 and 
of which many instances occur during the four- 
teenth and fifteenth centuries. 

In several of the wills of the aldermen, who may 
be supposed to have attained the years of extra- 



18 Si quis voluerit jurare super libmm, quod sum in debito, 
illi quod solvatur." — John Vielle. Jun. 

19 « Twenty-four men to carry torches, et cuilibet portatori 
togam de nigro friseo (frieze cloth) cum caputio de albo friseo ; 
et in ecclesia Sti. Stephani, quotidie ij. torchys ardentes, coram 
sepulchrum meum." — «7, Shipward. 

20 a p ro 2 sacerdotibus, celebraturis, ad summum altare, per 
25 annos, singulis diebus post obitum meum ; et post completes, 
unum sacerdotem qui teneat anniversarium meum," &c. (two 
priests to celebrate before the high altar for 25 years, and after- 
ivards one f for my anniversary.) — Ejtisdem, 



ANCIENT BRISTOL. 41 

ordinary discrection, there are prudential clauses 
respecting their widows, which might not so well 
suit with modern liberality. Walter Derby, in 
1385, leaves many tenements and an ample dower 
to Joan his wife; but upon this absolute condi- 
tion: 

" That she should not re-marry, but keep herself sole and 
chaste ; but if she should take to herself a man, to cohabit 
with her, (which God forbid !) and the same can be lawfully 
proved, then that the mayor and common council shall im- 
mediately, and without dely, enter into possession, and sell 
them for pious uses." 

Walter Frampton, in 1388, states the same case 
more severely, and orders, 

" That the tenements so bequeathed shall be sold sepa- 
rately, by the sound of the trumpet, at the High Cross, with- 
out fraud or collusion." 

In later wills, requests occur to the mayor and 
sheriffs to take the best security, in case of a 
second marriage, that the widow, being executrix, 
and her new husband, should not be empowered 
to injure the portions of the children of the former 
marriage. Such was the wisdom of our simple 
forefathers ! — but as the opinions and manners of 
society are proportionably improved since the fif- 
teenth century, our churches are now built by 



42 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

taxes levied upon the people ; 21 and the property 
of orphans is protected and diminished by inter- 
minable suits in chancery. 

In the "Proeme" to "William Wyrcestre 
Redivivus," the author has introduced himself in 
an imaginary dialogue with the venerable Wyrces- 
tre, and exclaims, " How do I envy you a sight of 
Bristow, in the year 1480 ! Then were the massive 
walls and gates entire — the castle, with its lofty 
and magnificent keep, c the fairest tower in west- 
ernlond,' proudly reared its head — now levelled 
with the earth, 'the baseless fabric of a vision.' 
The two beautiful churches of the Franciscans and 
Carmelites, one with its slender spire, and the 
other with its handsome tower, each then rivalling 
the neighbouring church of St. Stephen, and now 
known only by their sites — so many windows 
6 richly dight' with iridical colours — shrines and 
altars of exquisite carving, all demolished by in- 
discriminating zeal, or hidden from the sight by 
worse taste." — p. 10. 

21 In the course of two centuries, the following churches were 
built by private individuals : — 

St Mary Redcliff, by W. Canynge. 

St John, Walter Frampton. 

St Werburgh, Walter Derby. 

All of them mayors of Bristol, 



ANNALS OF BRISTOL. 43 



The following Historical Xotices of Royal Visits, Charters to 
the City, §c. chronologically arranged, maybe deemed amusing 
and interesting, as well to the stranger as to the citizen : — 

About 1139, the Empress Maud, who had landed at 
Arundel, was conducted in the true spirit of chivalry to 
Bristol, by King Stephen's brother, the Bishop of Win- 
chester, to join her brother, the noble Earl of Gloucester. 
Earl Robert's head quarters at Bristol became, during the 
civil war, a mere stronghold of banditti, which the Earl 
could by no means restrain ; they made excursions hence 
to plunder the neighbouring counties, and returned to the 
castle with numbers of miserable captives ; and many, who 
could not redeem themselves, they murdered in torturing 
to make them confess what money they could raise. 
Eristol, at this time, is mentioned as being " the volcano 
whence the kingdom was deluged with fire and sword. " 

Holingshed relates that a portion of the early education 
of Prince Henry, son of the Empress Maud, and after- 
wards King Henry II., was committed to one Matthews, 
a schoolmaster of this city, u to be instructed and trained 
up in civil behaviour" This occurred probably from the 
eighth to the twelfth year of the Prince's age. Matthews 
lived near the great stone house, the residence of the 
Hardinges,in Baldwin Street; and hence doubtless origi- 
nated the friendship of the prince with some of the younger 
members of the Fitzharclinge family ; for as Robert was 
born in 1085, he must then have been in his fifty-seventh 
year, and consequently could be no companion for a boy 



44 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

of nine years of age. However, on ascending the throne, 
King Henry knighted Robert Fitzhardinge, then Governor 
of Bristol, making him Lord of Berkeley, which name 
and family have descended to the present time. During 
this reign, Dermot, King of Leinster, in Ireland, with 
only sixty retainers, fled over to Bristol for succour, sub- 
jecting himself and kingdom to the crown of England; 
and some years after, the king granted to this city leave 
to inhabit, possess, and enjoy, the city of Dublin (then 
called Devlin) ; and a colony from this place went thither 
accordingly. 

King John, as lord of Bristol, by marrying Isabel, 
daughter of William Earl of Gloucester, renewed the 
Bristol Charters, and pointed out the limits of the city. 

The most unjustifiable act of King John was the im- 
prisonment of his niece, the Princess Eleanor of Brittany, 
whom he brought from the continent, and immured in 
Bristol Castle, in the year 1202; where she was closely 
confined for the remainder of her life (a period of forty 
years) ; and guarded by four knights, lest she should have 
an opportunity of engaging in a clandestine marriage, by 
which the succession to the crown might afterwards be- 
come disputable. She was undoubtedly the hereditary 
heiress, but languished in hopeless imprisonment during 
the reign of K. Henry III. It was thought expedient, 
however, that the governor of the castle should annually 
exhibit the royal captive before the people, to prevent any 
suspicion of further injurious treatment, — a fact which 
proves that her captivity excited public commiseration. 

King John compelled the Jews to pay great part of his 
charge into Ireland. (The burgesses of Bristol contributed 



ANNALS OF BRISTOL. 45 

one thousand marks.) A Jew, named Abraham, resident 
here, refused to ransom himself. The king ordered that 
he should every day lose a cheek tooth, till he paid ten 
thousand marks. He lost one per day for seven days, and 
then, having but one tooth left, paid the money. 

Prince Henry, the eldest son of King John, (afterwards 
King Henry III.) in consequence of the disputes his 
father had with the barons, came to Bristol for his personal 
safety; and that he might receive an education suitable to 
his elevated rank, many noblemen and preceptors accom- 
panied him thither. It was then ordered that Bristol 
should he governed by a mayor, to be chosen in the same 
manner as was the practice in London ; with two grave, 
sad, worshipful men, to be called prsepositors or sheriffs, 
and also a coroner : " that successors should inherit the 
goods of the deceased," and that the inhabitants should be 
as free as those of London. The first mayor chosen in 
consequence of this charter was Adam le Page. 

It has been said that Prince Edward was a prisoner in 
our castle in 1263. It is certain that in the feuds of the 
time, Bristol stood out for the barons, and was afterwards 
fined one thousand pounds for the defection, when be- 
sieged and taken by the prince. 

King Edward I., who, during the civil wars, had suffered 
many injuries from Llewellin, Prince of Wales, now re- 
solved to prevent him from doing any future mischief. 
While he was making preparations to invade Wales, four 
ships belonging to the port of Bristol, captured a vessel 
near the island of Scilly, on board of which was one of 
the daughters of the Earl of Leicester, who was contracted 
to Llewellin. The prize was particularly acceptable to 



46 CHILCOTT 9 S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

the king, who thus deprived an enemy of his expected 
bride, and held in captivity the daughter of his formidable 
opponent. The prince demanded his bride, but experi- 
enced the mortification of a stern refusal ; nothing there- 
fore remained but an appeal to the sword. In the course 
of 1277, Edward conquered Wales, and compelled the 
haughty Llewellin to submit to a treaty, by which he was 
obliged to pay fifty thousand pounds, and hold the Isle of 
Anglesey of the crown of England, under the annual tri- 
bute of one thousand marks. At the conclusion of the 
treaty, the king restored the lady to whom Llewellin was 
contracted, and did him the honour to assist at his nuptials. 

The king, in 1284, came from Wales to Bristol about 
the middle of December, kept his court here, and solem- 
nized the festival of Chrismas {< with much content." At 
this period, too, it has been confidently asserted, he held a 
parliament ; but this has been denied by others, who state 
that it was only a council of certain "magnates." In 
1305, the king taxing all the corporate cities and towns, 
Bristol paid four hundred pounds. 

In 1312, a violent commotion took place in Bristol; 
during which, the king having in vain called upon the 
citizens for their allegiance, and deprived the magistracy 
of their powers, actual and offensive war was waged be- 
tween the castle and the town; the citizens building a 
wall and fort where Dolphin Street now stands (formerly 
called Defence Lane). " From this wall, and from several 
other streets of the town, they kept up an irregular warfare 
against the castle, sometimes shooting into it square heavy 
arrows, called quarels, and other massive weapons, keeping 
it by these means in a sort of siege, and suffering no one 



ANNALS OF BRISTOL. 47 

to come out from thence into the town, but by their per- 
mission : they in the castle carrying on similar hostilities*" 
For two years and more, the town continued in this state 
of rebellion, during which time complaints were continu- 
ally sent to the king, both from the town and from the 
constable of the castle ; meanwhile, the government of the 
town was carried on as usual by the mayor and bailiffs 
in the king's name, but no doubt contrary to his authority. 
The exact date of the surrender is not known, but it most 
probably took place in the summer or autumn of 1316. 
The king immediately took the government of the town 
into his own hands, and kept it for some months, appoint- 
ing Maurice, son of Thomas Lord Berkeley, as custos of 
the town and castle, and probably keeping a strong garri- 
son there. " The utter oblivion (observes Mr. Seyer, to 
whom the reader is referred for particulars of this singular 
and well-authenticated relation) into which this important 
occurrence has fallen, is not the least remarkable part of 
it. Beside that our calendars are silent concerning it, 
there is not the smallest traditional memorial of it remain- 
ing in Bristol ; and the discovery of an event so interesting 
as the rebellion of one of the principal cities in the king- 
dom, maintained by force of arms, for three years, which 
has been overlooked by our historians, and is here brought 
to light by an examination of ancient rolls, may induce a 
reasonable suspicion that other events of equal curiosity 
might be discovered, by an attentive search into our 
national records." 

In 1316, the famine was so intolerable, that it is said, 
" the prisoners in Bristol jail did pluck and tear those that 
were newly brought in, and devoured them half alive." 



48 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

In 1326, when Queen Isabella invaded England, being 
incapable of raising an army, King Edward II. soon after 
rashly resolved to abandon his country, and seek an asy- 
lum himself in Ireland. With this intention, he left Hugh 
Spencer the elder, Earl of Winchester, to defend the city 
of Bristol ; but the queen's army besieged it with such 
vigour, that it held out but three days ; when the earl, 
who was ninety years of age, was gibbetted in his armour, 
and after hanging two days, his body was cut in pieces 
and given to the dogs ; his head was exposed on a pole, 
and sent to Winchester. The king himself, as is well 
known, was soon after cruelly put to death in Berkeley 
Castle. 

In 1345 William de Colford, recorder of Bristol, drew 
up in writing many important laws and liberties, for the 
regulation and government of the town, which were after- 
wards confirmed by the charter of Edward III. Among 
these laws it was ordered that no leprous man stay within 
the precincts of the town ; nor any common woman re- 
main within its walls; and if such women were found, that 
then the doors and windows of the houses in which they 
reside should be unhung, and be kept by the constable 
till the women be removed. 

King Edward III. on the 8th of August, 1373, rewarded 
the loyalty of the inhabitants of Bristol by granting them 
a charter, which conferred peculiar immunities : " for a 
fine of six hundred marks, his majesty granted the town 
to be separated from Gloucestershire and Somersetshire, 
and to be henceforth a county of itself," &c. &c. Thirty- 
six deputies, selected from Bristol, Somersetshire, and 
Gloucestershire, in equal proportions, were appointed to 



ANNALS OF BRISTOL. 49 

determine the boundaries. Their proceedings were after- 
wards confirmed by authority of parliament. 

In the summer of 1399, King Richard II. arrived in 
Bristol, on his way to Ireland. It is also recorded, that 
the king caused a theatre to be built at Bristow, for a 
combat to be fought between two Scots, the one an 
esquire, appellant, the other a knight, defendant. The 
appellant was overcome and hanged. 

It appears that King Henry IV. issued writs for a 
parliament to be holden at Bristol, but no mention rs 
made of the actual sitting. He also granted a charter, 
exempting Bristol from the jurisdiction of the court of 
admiralty. 

King Henry VI. coming to Bristol in 1446, took up 
his residence near RedclifT Church, and during his stay 
granted some privileges to the mayor and commonalty. 
In 1456, Queen Margaret came here, "with a great 
traine of the nobility, and was honourably received and 
entertained." 

King Edward IV. came to Bristol, September, 1461 ; 
where, by his order, Sir Baldwyn Fulford, knight, and 
two esquires, were beheaded. This circumstance has been 
immortalized by the well-known poem ofChatterton, "The 
Bristow Tragedie." King Edward stood at the east window 
of St. E wen's Church, to see Sir Baldwyn pass by to 
execution. 

In 1486, King Henry VII. came to Bristol. He was 
received with great demonstrations of joy ; and a pageant 
was performed on the occasion. In 1490,he paid another 
visit, and while here exacted what is curiously called " a 
benevolence ;" making every citizen who was worth twenty 



50 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

pounds pay twenty shillings, because their wives went so 
sumptuously appareled ! Thus he obtained five hundred 
pounds. In 1497, the king and queen visited Bristol, and 
held their court at the great house on St. Augustine's 
Back, now Colston's School. In 1499, the king granted 
a new charter to the corporation, and also presented his 
own sword, to be borne before the mayor, which is still in 
the possession of the corporation. 

An old MS. says that King Henry VIII. went to 
Thornbury in his progress, and thence came disguised to 
Bristol, with certain gentlemen, to Mr. Thorn's house, 
from whence viewing the city, he said to Mr. Thorn, 
" This is now but the town of Bristol, but I will make it 
the city of Bristol :" which he afterwards did, by erecting 
it into a bishop's see. 

In Queen Mary's reign, Richard Sharp, a weaver; 
Thomas Hales, a shoemaker; Thomas Benion, a shear- 
man ; a young man, a carpenter ; and Edward Sharp, a 
Wiltshire man, aged three-score years; were burnt on 
St. Michael's Hill, as heretics. 

On the 14th of August, 1574, Queen Elizabeth came, 
in her progress through the kingdom, to Bristol. She 
was received at Lawford's Gate with great pomp and so- 
lemnity by the mayor, aldermen, and incorporated com- 
panies, formed under their proper ensigns. The mayor 
carried the sword of state before her Majesty, bareheaded, 
to the High Cross, where her Majesty was first addressed 
by Faem, in twenty-four of Mr. Churchyard's choicest 
verses. 22 The procession then passed through St. John's 

22 Church yarde's Chippes, reprinted by JohnNicols, F.S.A., 
in "The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth." 



ANNALS OF BRISTOL. 51 

Gate, at the bottom of Broad Street, through Christmas 
and Host Streets, to her Highness's lodgings at Sir John 
Young's house (now Colston's School) on St. Augustine's 
Back, where a boy representing Salutacion, spouted 
eighteen, and another called Gratulacion, twenty verses ; 
Obedient Good-will, a third boy, was ready with 
eight more, but could not speak them, " time was so far 
spent." Then three hundred soldiers, who were in the 
procession guarding her Majesty, "shot of thear peeces 
in passyinggood order; at which warnyng, the great artil- 
lery vyent of, a hundred and xxx cast peecis : and so the 
watche charged, and a hundredth shot apoynted for her 
gard." During the procession, all ranks of people testified 
their joy at the condescension of the royal visiter, by 
acclamations and other demonstrations of loyalty and 
attachment. 

On the Sunday the Queen went to the college, " to 
hear a sarmond, whear thear was a speetch to be sayd and 
an imme to be songe. The speech was left out by an 
occasion unlooked for ; but the imme was songe by a very 
fien boye." 

Her Highness was entertained with diverse pageants, 
and feats of war by land and water, which much delighted 
her Majesty. iC The Queen was present during three days, 
for whose standing there was built a large scaffold of tim- 
ber, in the Marsh, where she had the full sight of every 
action that was performed, by the best experienced men 
in martial practice about this city, with very great charges, 
especially of gunpowder, whereof no spare was made to 
give content." 

" At her Highnes departuer, a gentleman in the confiens 



52 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

of the towns liberties spack a ' Dolfull a Due' of twenty 
verses, in which the citizens are made to say : — 

Our joy is joynd with grevous groens, our triumphe tornd to tears; 

The brantch whose blosoms gladnes broght a bitter berry bears* 

la house and street whear mirth is hard is moen and moorning noies, 

The sommer day is dimd with clowds, eclypsed are our joyes. 

The loedstar leavs our wished cowrs, and dims the heavens hie ; 

Our sofrant will no longer lord in walls of Bristow lye. 

No marvell sins our barrain soyl, and ground of groes devyce. 

Haeth yelded nothing that might pleas a prince of so great price. 

Our deuties are not half discharged, no thoghe we kist the ground, 

And prostraet fall full flat on face whear her footsteps are found. 

The Persian daer not cast up eies, nor look upon thear king; 

Shall Christians then presuem to preace on such a sacred thyng. 

And sho no part of duties bownds, O God forbid I say ; 

But that the Lord's anointed should be honor'd evry way. 

Long loekt this citie for a prince, long sens and many a year, 

A king or queen beheld this town, short tyme she taryes heer. 

Good fortuen follow thee, O queen, and gied thy doings all, 

A world of threfold blessed happ upon thy kingdom fall. 

As loeth to taek our heavy leave, as leave our lives indeed ; 

A due, deer lady of this land ; the living Lord thee speed ! 

1607. — This year was a view taken in this city, to know 
how many people were in it, and there were found of all 
sorts 10549 in the whole. It was done because they 
would know how much corn would serve the whole by 
the week. 

On Friday, June 4, 1613, Anne of Denmark (wife of 
James I.) came to Bristol, accompanied by the Earl of 
Worcester, in her own coach. She was received at Law- 
ford's Gate, at the top of Old Market Street, with all the 
ceremonies and respect which at that day were considered 
due to royalty. 

The graue and ancient councell first in gownes of scarlet dye, 
Attended one each by a page, did ride triumphantlie. 
With footclothes were theire horses deckt, no cost they thought fo niucb, 
For to expres theire willing harts, their loue to her was such. 



ANNALS OF BRISTOL. 53 

To Bristolls antient utmost bounds marcht on this gallant traine, 
To meet her Grace, for whose aproach with ioy they did remaine. 
Next in theire hoods the companies, each after theire degree 
With ioyfnl harts marcht on to meet her gratious maiestie. 
• ••••* 

And last of all, tho* last not least, chiefe subiect of my verse 
3 bands there were whose worthy praise my muse cannot rehearse. 
The first in white & violet clad, the second blacke & white, 
The third with white & scarlot was in martial order dight. 

No sooner did her Graces traine aproch our Citties bownd, 
and that her herald gan draw neare, with blast of trumpet sound 
submissiae, prostrate on his knees the maior then fell downe, 
and the Recorder by his side, a man of great renowne ; 
with grave aspect and perfect voice his silence then he brake. 

The recorder's address occupies fifty-two lines. After 
the delivery of which we are told, 

The maior he his present gaue, & did her grace beseech 
for to accept * * * * 

A ritch embroidered purse it was, most sumptuous to behold 
in owtward shew, the inside was cramd full of massy gold. 

This ceremony being ended, the mayor with all the 
magistrates took horse again, the last of the common 
council riding foremost ; the mayor, bareheaded, with a 
chain of gold about his neck, riding next the royal coach. 
And when the procession came through Wine Street, all 
the trained bands of the city were arrayed on each side, 
to receive her Majesty. On her arrival at her lodgings at 
Sir John Young's house, the soldiers drew towards the 
Quay, and every one having loaded his musquet, the 
command to fire was given by the Earl of Gloucester; 
this was immediately followed by the discharge of forty- 
two pieces of ordnance from the Great Tower on the 
Quay. 

On Sunday the mayor with the council, in their scarlet 
robes, but without the sword, came on foot to bring her 



54 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Majesty to College to hear a sermon. The trained soldiers 
formed a line of passage into the cathedral. The Queen's 
coach was 

Drawn by 4 milk white coursers braue ; and next her did aproach 

the Ladies on their trampling steeds, like faire Dianas traine 

hunting in the Arcadian woods, (as doo the poets faine). 

The reuerend senats two and two all marching on a row, 

foremost of all in theire degrees unto the church did goe. 

Lastly on foot before her grace with all her noble traine 

of lords and knights into the church the worthy maior came. 

The queene then set in chaire of state with all the residue,! 

in their degrees, the maior and sherifes and nobillity. 

Where learned doctor Robson did a godly sermon frame, 

in setting forth Gods mighty works and lauding of his name. 

On the Monday there was a sham sea fight got up, be- 
tween an English and a Turkish vessel, which took place 
at the Gibb (now Prince's Street), for the purpose of 
" shewing her grace some recreation that might delight 
her!" for which purpose a building was erected, finely 
decked with ivy leaves and flowers, for her grace to sit and 
see the fight. We are told that the sanguinary feature of 
the fray was produced by " six bladders of blood poured 
out of the scubber holes ! ! !" 

The next day (Tuesday) the Queen, on leaving the city, 
was conducted through the streets to the boundary at 
Lawford's Gate, with much the same ceremonies as she 
entered it. She 

* • * most gratiously vouchsafed to thank y m all 
both maior sherifes and aldermen, who on their knees did fall, 
and humbly kist her royall hand, such favor did she shew, 
and loue for loue, which to her grace in dutie they did ow, 
and furthermore for to expresse her loue to loyall harts, 
and bountie by rewarding all according to deserts* 



ANNALS OF BRISTOL. 55 

a ring with diamonds beset most gratiously shee sent, 

unto the maior as a pledge of her most kinde intent. 

In ought shee could for Bristolls good in rightful cause obtaine, 

by suit preferd unto king James our gratious soveraigne. 23 

Her Majesty, on leaving Bristol, went to Syston House, 
Gloucestershire, then the residence of Sir H. Billingsley. 
In the unfortunate reign of Charles I. Bristol experi- 
enced many vicissitudes and troubles. On the breaking 
out of the unhappy civil war, it was garrisoned by the 
parliament's army, and Col. Nathaniel Fiennes was made 
governor. This city was a place of great importance, as 
it awed all the western counties, and had accommodations 
for a large army. The king, sensible of the advantages 
attending so eligible a post, was desirous of obtaining 
possession of it. There were many royalists in the city, 
who engaged to take it by stratagem ; but their scheme 
being discovered, Alderman Yeamans, of Wine Street, 
and Mr. Boucher, a wealthy merchant of Christmas Street, 
being the principal encouragers of the intended revolt, 
were imprisoned in a dungeon of the castle for twelve 
weeks, chained neck and heels, before they were tried by 
martial law at the house of Mr. Robert Rogers, soap 
maker, (mayor in 1621,) Bridge Parade. They were 
condemned, and executed in front of No. 4, Wine Street; 
the rest of the conspirators escaped. The king, finding 
that his friends had miscarried in their attempts, resolved 
to lay siege to it with a large army; accordingly Prince 
Maurice and the Marquis of Hertford having taken the 
city of Bath, Prince Rupert was ordered from Oxford with 
a reinforcement to join them, and march immediately for 

23 See the Bristol Memorialist, p. 229, &c. 



56 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Bristol, where they arrived on the 24th of July, 1643, 
The garrison was well provided with men, ammunition, 
and every thing necessary to make a vigorous defence. 
The besiegers, seeing the improbability of taking the city 
by blockade, resolved to storm it, which they did in six 
different places, so effectually, that the besieged were un- 
able longer to resist, and therefore capitulated. This event 
was highly favourable to the royal cause, though it was 
dearly purchased, the king having lost many of his most 
valuable officers, and five hundred of his best troops, in 
reducing it. However, he was so well satisfied, that he 
ordered a public thanksgiving on the occasion ; and on the 
3rd of August following, the king himself came to Bristol,, 
with Prince Charles, the Duke of York, and several of the 
nobility. The king lodged at the house of Alderman 
Creswick, in Small Street, and the prince and duke at 
Alderman Holworthy's, which was in the same street, 
directly opposite. Bristol remained in the king's hands 
all the next year ; but Sir William Waller being sent by 
the parliament with a large army into the west, the king 
began to be apprehensive for its fate : especially as he was 
not ignorant that many of the inhabitants were disaffected 
to his cause. He therefore dispatched an order to Lord 
Hopton, to use his utmost exertions in providing for its 
security ; he also sent Prince Charles to inspect the forti- 
fications, who arrived just in time to prevent a design 
which the inhabitants had formed of delivering up the city 
to the parliament's forces. The prince, with the assistance 
of Lord Hopton, having put the city into such a state as 
to fear little from its enemies without, retired to Barnstaple, 
to avoid the pestilence which began to rage in Bristol. 



ANNALS OF BRISTOL. 57 

After the king's defeat, at the unfortunate battle of 
Naseby, Prince Rupert repaired to Bristol, which place 
he found so well supplied with men, provisions, and am- 
munition, that he wrote to his Majesty, assuring him that 
he could sustain a four-month's siege. From the known 
valour of the prince, great expectations were formed, and 
every one concluded that a vigorous defence would be 
made; but to the astonishment of the whole kingdom, 
when Sir Thomas Fairfax undertook the siege, on the 
21st of August, the prince capitulated, and gave up the 
place on the 11th of September following. The unhappy 
King was so chagrined at this loss, and at the trifling re- 
sistance made by the prince to preserve the city, that, in 
the first transports of his anger, he revoked all his com- 
missions, and ordered him to quit the kingdom imme- 
diately. 

1648. — King Charles having been tried and condemned 
at Westminster was executed there; and the mayor of 
Bristol proclaimed that there was no king in England, 
and that the successors to Charles I. were traitors to the 
state. 

1657. — The corporation received a letter from the Lord 
Protector Cromwell, which is so characteristic of the man 
that we insert it here. 

OLIVER P. 

Trustie and well beloved, we greete you well : remembering 
well the late expressions of love that I have had from you, I 
cannot omit any opportunitie to expresse my care of you. I do 
hear on all hands, that the Cavalier party are designing to put 
us into blood. We are, I hope, taking the best care we can, by 
the blessing of God, to obviate this danger. But our intelli- 
gence on all hands being, that they have a design upon your 



58 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

cittie, we could not but warne you thereof, and give you au- 
thorise, as we doe hereby, to put yourselves into the best pos- 
ture you can for your own defence, by raising your militia, by 
virtue of the commission formerly sent you, and putting them 
in readinesse for the purpose aforesaide ; letting you also knowe 
that for your better encouragement herein, you shall have a 
troop of horse sent you, to quarter in or neare your towne. We 
desire you to let us heare from time to time what occurs touch- 
ing the malignant partie, and so we bid you farewell. Given 
at "Whitehall, the 2nd of December, 1657. 

To our trustie and well beloved, the Mayor, Aldermen, and 
Common Council of the Cittie of Bristoal. 

In pursuance of the above command, the militia was 
raised, and the city was put into a posture of defence. 

James Nailor 24 came to Bristol, in the year 1 656, and 
his followers called him, " the everlasting Sun of righte- 
ousness and Prince of peace : the Prophet of the most high 
God ; nay, the only-begotten Son of God, out of Zion, 
whose mother is a virgin, and whose birth is immortal." 
He made his public entry here in imitation of Christ 
riding into Jerusalem ; the people singing Hosannah ! 
and spreading their garments for the animal which bore 
him to trample on ; the man, no doubt, was insane, but 
what can we think of his numerous followers and prose- 
lytes ? The parliament, however, interfering, he was 
severely punished, conformably to the spirit of the age, 
and imprisoned till the death of Cromwell. He afterwards 
renounced his errors. 

In the beginning of the year 1660, when the nation 

24 In Mr. Sever' s Memoirs of Bristol, much singular and minute 
information is given respecting Nailor, and other enthusiasts of 
that period. 



ANNALS OF BRISTOL. 59 

was thoroughly sick of political experiments and the rump 
parliament, " the apprentices of the city of Bristol did rise, 
and cryed up for ' a free parliament ;' and they kept the 
city a whole week, and then went into the Marsh and laid 
down their arms, by reason that a troop of horse came to 
the city to suppress them." 

In 1660, King Charles II. was restored, and on Satur- 
day, September 5, 1663, with his Queen Catharine, visited 
Bristol ; and with them came James Duke of York and 
his duchess, the Duke of Monmouth, Prince Rupert, and 
a great train of nobility. Queen Catharine also visited 
Bristol in 1674 and in 1677. 

Monmouth's rebellion in 1685 is said to have failed in 
its object, only by the duke's refraining to invest Bristol ; 
when pressed to do so, the duke's compassionate answer, 
" God forbid that I should bring the calamities of fire and 
sword together on so noble a city," (the Duke of Beaufort 
having declared that he would set the town on fire in that 
event,) naturally raised a sympathy for his cause ; we find 
accordingly that Bristol was not forgotten in Judge Jef- 
ferys' " Progress." 

In January, 1687, there came a letter and an order 
of King James, for displacing the corporation of this 
city, and for putting others in their stead, which was 
accordingly done. And in April a declaration was made 
for the indulgence of all persons in the free and public 
exercise of their religion, and in erecting meeting houses ; 
for which some dissenters presented addresses of thanks : 
all availed themselves of the liberty to which they had a 
right, but the king was suspected by most parties of in- 
tending to introduce popery. Nor did this appearance of 



60 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

moderation, nor his proclamation for restoring the displaced 
corporations in the following year avail; for many of the 
bishops, officers of rank in the army, and considerable 
men, adhered to the Prince of Orange, who on the 5th of 
November landed at Torbay, and on February 15th he 
with his princess, were proclaimed king and queen in 
Bristol. 

1690. — King William landed from Ireland, opposite 
Pill, near Shirehampton, (now Lamplighters' Hall,) and 
went to Sir Robert Southwell's, at Kingsweston, the resi- 
dence of the late Lord de Clifford, but now of Wm. Miles, 
Esq., M. P. for East Somerset. 

September 1, 1702, Queen Anne and Prince George, 
her husband, were received at Lawford's Gate, by the 
mayor (John Hawkins, brewer) 25 and corporation, and 
conducted from Temple Street, through the Long Row, 
to Sir Thomas Day's house at the Bridge-end, in the fol- 
lowing order : a great number of horsemen, including 
sixty captains of ships — twelve of the Queen's coaches, 
containing her suit — eighteen of the clergy, bare headed 
— the common council — the aldermen — the mayor, car- 
rying the pearl sword — part of the Queen's guards, before 
and behind her coach — coaches of the nobility and gentry. 
Her Majesty was dressed in purple, mourning for the late 
King. The royal coach and trappings of the horses were 
black, as were those of the nobility. With the Queen 

25 Sir John Hawkins's mansion and brewery were the pre- 
mises on the east side of Temple Street, the original front of 
which remains, now divided between the Colston's Arms public 
house and another tenement, with the waggon warehouse and 
stables, extending in depth to Temple Back. 



ANNALS OF BRISTOL. 61 

rode the prince, and two ladies of honour. The dinner 
was at the expense of the city ; and between four and five 
o'clock, after knighting Mr. Mayor, the royal and noble 
visitants returned to Bath. 

July 24, 1710, at Westminster, the Queen, upon the 
petition of the mayor, burgesses, and commonalty, granted 
what is called the great charter of Bristol. — See Mr. Seyers 
Collection. 

1718. — The first insurance office in Bristol against fire, 
the Crown, was established ; capital £40,000. 

David Hume, in his Memoirs, says: "In 1734, I went 
to Bristol, with some recommendations to eminent mer- 
chants ; but in a few months found the scene totally un- 
suitable to me." He was clerk to a Mr. Millar (a partner 
in the first banking-house established here); his taste in 
English composition being offended by the merchant's 
letter book, and venturing to reform it, " I'll tell you what, 
Mr. Hume," exclaimed his employer, " I have made 
£20,000 by my English, and I won't have it mended." 

In 1749, much rioting in Bristol, in consequence of the 
erection of turnpike gates. 

The workmen employed in the extensive collieries in 
this neighbourhood, in May, 1753, were very tumultuous 
on account of the high price of bread: it was not until 
several lives were lost that their proceedings could be 
suppressed. 

On Thursday, September 19, 1792, a mob collected at 
Bristol Bridge, disputing the further right of demanding 
tolls for passing over; — the result was, the burning cf the 
gates and the board which announced the rates; new gates 
were erected, which were the next day also destroyed ; — 



62 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

the place continuing a scene of great tumult till the Mon- 
day following, when the Hereford militia were called out, 
and the riot act read : the mob refusing to disperse, the 
soldiers, after repeated insults, were commanded to fire, 
which they did with fatal effect, many persons being 
killed, and others wounded. 

July 27, 1817.— His Grace the Duke of Wellington 
made his public entry into the city, through Park Street, 
under triumphal arches erected for the occasion, amidst 
the cheers of the accumulated thousands assembled to 
greet him on his way to the Mansion House, in Queen 
Square, where he dined with the corporation, &c. &c. 

In December of the same year, her Majesty Queen 
Charlotte, the Princess Elizabeth, and the Duke of 
Clarence, being on a visit to Bath, were invited by the 
body corporate to visit Bristol. They were received at 
the Mansion House, took a view of Clifton, visited Col. 
Hugh Baillie and his lady, at their house in Park Row, 
and returned to Bath the same evening. 



THE BRISTOL KIOTS, IN 1831. 

Few events will prove so memorable, in the annals of 
its history, as the riots, which reduced our city to a partial 
ruin, and which were attended with so much loss, disaster, 
and disgrace, to many of its inhabitants. 

These occurrences, viewed in their causes and conse- 
quences, will also fill an important place in the history of 
the eventful times in which they occurred, and hence a 
sketch of the tragical transactions is inserted here. Never 
did any event of the kind call forth a greater torrent of 



THE BRISTOL RIOTS. 63 

wild and ignorant misrepresentation, and malevolent abuse, 
than the Bristol riots. Justice, generosity, charity, and 
common courtesy, were lost, amid the angry declamation 
and strife of party writers. Time, and the numerous trials 
that arose out of these calamitous transactions, have, in a 
great measure, dispelled the cloud of prejudice which 
party violence had raised. The incontrovertible evidence 
of courts of justice has clearly proved who were guilty and 
who were innocent ; has refuted much misrepresentation ; 
and exposed the arrogant pretensions of ill-informed, 
meddling, and officious zeal. Truth requires, therefore, 
that a brief statement of authenticated facts should be com- 
piled for the information of posterity. 

The excitement which was created in the public mind 
throughout the country by the constant agitation of the 
reform bill, broke out in this city into acts of open violence, 
on the arrival of Sir Charles Wetherell as its recorder, to 
deliver the gaol, October 31, 1831. Sir Charles having 
rendered himself obnoxious to the promoters of the bill, 
by his strenuous opposition to it in the House of Com- 
mons, some apprehension was entertained by the public 
authorities, that insults might be offered him on his en- 
tering the city, and therefore he was met at the outskirts 
of it by an escort, consisting of the sheriffs and city officers, 
by some gentlemen on horseback, and about three hundred 
constables. As he entered the town, he was followed by 
a considerable crowd, hissing, hooting, and occasionally 
throwing stones at his carriage, till the procession reached 
the guildhall. The commission was there opened in the 
usual form, amid great noise and confusion. On leaving 
the guildhall, the crowd, in greater numbers than before, 



64 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

followed him, repeating their insults, till the recorder 
entered the mansion house in safety, ahout noon. 

Soon after the arrival of Sir Charles at the mansion 
house, some thousands of the labouring classes assembled 
in Queen Square. The rioters, arming themselves with 
sticks, from a pile of fagots on the Back, had several 
skirmishes with the constables, but were quickly put to 
flight. 

About three o'clock part of the constables were allowed 
to return home. Towards evening the crowd increased ; 
and under cloud of night the rioters grew bolder and more 
violent. The mayor, attended by some of the magistrates, 
appeared in front of the mansion house, and endeavoured, 
by expostulation and entreaty, to prevail on them to dis- 
perse ; but in return they were assaulted with showers of 
stones. The riot act was therefore read, and the military 
sent for. In the mean time, the mayor and those who 
were with him in the mansion house, were in the greatest 
personal danger. The mob on the outside had driven in 
the constables, torn up the iron railings in front of the 
house, and with stones and large pieces of timber battered 
in the windows and window frames, and the panels of the 
doors; and were, with the greatest difficulty, prevented 
from forcing a complete entrance by barricading the win- 
dows and doors with beds and furniture. On the arrival 
of the soldiers, the people withdrew from the attack, but 
they showed no signs of alarm, and received the soldiers 
with loud cheers. 

The whole of Queen Square was now in darkness, the 
rioters having put out the lamps. In the large hall of the 
mansion house the lamps were still burning, and through 



THE BRISTOL RIOTS. 65 

the shattered doors and window frames showed distinctly 
the interior of the lower apartments, now filled with con- 
stables who had defended the stair-case from the rush of 
the rioters. In the course of the evening Sir Charles 
escaped by the roof, and soon afterwards left Bristol, as 
was publicly intimated next day at noon. 

During the remainder of Saturday night, the mob con- 
tinued in front of the mansion-house, but except occasion- 
ally molesting the soldiers, they were not guilty of any 
further outrage there. The dragoons were ordered to 
draw their swords, with the sides and backs of which they 
dealt them some heavy blows. About midnight the rioters 
went in a body to the council-house, and smashed the 
windows. The cavalry pursued them, and they returned 
the charge with showers of stones from the corners of the 
streets and lanes. At the top of the Pithay, (a steep 
narrow lane, leading out of Wine Street,) a stone having 
struck one of the 14th Dragoons, the soldier turned, and 
shot a man, who some say was unconcerned in the riots : 
no other lives were then lost. 

Amidst such scenes of tumult was the morning of the 
Lord's day ushered in. These wicked disturbers of its 
peace were however driven from the street ; but they only 
retired to plot further mischief. 

Long before the different places of worship were opened, 
the piquet of dragoons was withdrawn to take refreshment, 
when the mob immediately renewed their attack on the 
mansion-house. The mayor, several gentlemen, and some 
constables, who were within, in all eight or ten persons, 
had just time to escape over the roofs of the adjoining 
houses, before the rioters rushed into all the rooms, threw 



66 CHILCOTT 5 S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

out the furniture into the street, and destroyed or carried 
away every article of value. The cellars were forced open, 
casks of wine were staved, and bottles broken and emptied 
of their contents. The ^flooring and area flowed with 
intoxicating liquors. An abandoned crew of men and 
women were seen, some carrying off stolen property, others 
struggling greedily for wine and spirits. The drunkards 
staggered and reeled about the pavement, or lay along in 
senseless stupefaction, from which many never awoke 
again to the light of life. 

The piquet of the 14th Dragoons quickly returned. 
The mob, inflamed with liquor, and seeking to revenge 
the death of the man who had been killed the preceding 
night, attacked them with stones. As the soldiers had no 
orders to fire, or to use their sabres, the officer again with- 
drew them to their quarters; to which while they were 
slowly retiring along the Quay and over the drawbridge, 
a prayerless multitude, unwashed, and clad in the dirty 
garments of yesterday, followed and pelted them with 
brickbats. Hurt and provoked beyond endurance, the 
soldiers fired in self-defence ; a man was killed, and seven 
or eight wounded. To appease the people, the 14th 
Dragoons were ordered to Keynsham, leaving only thirty- 
three soldiers of the 3rd Dragoons to protect the city. 
Having got rid of the troops, the rioters grew bolder, and 
planned an attack on the gaols. Bridewell prison was the 
first : on their way thither, the mob were made to halt, 
and break open an anchorsmith and ironmonger's shop ; 
sledge-hammers, crow-bars, and other instruments, were 
handed out, and distributed in an orderly and systematic 
manner. With these formidable weapons, the unresisted 



THE BRISTOL RIOTS. 67 

mob quickly took the strong heavy prison gates off their 
hinges, and threw them into the iloat; they then battered 
off the locks and bars, let loose the prisoners, and set 
Bridewell on fire. 

About the same time (near two o'clock, p. m.), a large 
party of rioters attacked the new gaol, a strong building, 
almost entirely built of massive stone and iron, which cost 
nearly one hundred thousand pounds. A very numerous 
and formidable mob ranged themselves in front of the 
gaol, while all around, and on the opposite bank of the 
river, a multitude, computed at fifteen thousand persons, 
were gathered together — many, no doubt, from curiosity; 
but the loud shouts of approbation from the crowd, which 
rent the air from time to time, as the rioters were forcing 
their way into the prison, made it but too evident that a 
very large number came to encourage by their presence, 
and to assist, if necessary. No due preparation had been 
made for the defence of this strong building ; and to the 
suddenness and boldness of the attack, its success may, in 
a great measure, be ascribed. 

Two magistrates, and about thirty citizens and consta- 
bles, attempted to enter the prison, but were attacked with 
stones, and driven back. The rioters then forced their 
way into the governor's house, earned off the furniture, 
the prison books, the caravan, and the gallows, and threw 
them into the river. About this time the hopes of the 
well-disposed spectators were raised, by the appearance of 
part of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, the only remaining de- 
fenders of the city ; but they had no orders to attack the 
mob, and they soon retired to their former station. 

With the help of the prison keys, found in the governor's 



68 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

house, and with their ponderous sledge-hammers, the 
rioters quickly released the prisoners, about one hundred 
and seventy in number. These sallied forth, as they 
made their escape one after another, mingling their yells 
and frantic gestures with the shout of the multitude. 
Many of them stripped off their prison clothes as they 
went, and were met by their friends and associates. One 
of the ringleaders then took down the flag from the flag- 
post, over the entrance to the prison. At this signal, the 
incendiaries began their work. — Thick black clouds of 
smoke arose from the vast pile of building; the treadmill, 
the governor's house, and the chapel, were quickly on fire ; 
and the strong fire-proof walls of the gaol, constructed of 
stone and iron, were blackened by the flames, which strove 
to spread themselves, but were checked on either side by 
these impenetrable barriers. The mob burnt the chairs, 
benches, tables, and every thing destructible within the 
prison. 

From the prison the mob sallied forth in several parties, 
and burnt the toll-houses ; the gate-keepers, however, were 
allowed to remove their property. A ringleader directed 
the operations with impudent coolness. 

The Gloucester County Prison near to Bristol, shared 
the same fate ; and a party was despatched to complete 
the destruction of Bridewell, which had been only partially 
consumed. The three prisons, blazing in different quarters 
of the city at the same moment, served as terrible beacons 
to warn the inhabitants of their danger. 26 From street to 

26 The rioters boasted " Sir C. Wetherell has come to try 
the prisoners : — well, we shall save him the trouble, and make 
the gaol delivery ourselves.' ' 



THE BRISTOL RIOTS. 69 

street, and house to house, rumour spread and fearful con- 
sternation. The magistrates had been at the council -house, 
and a party of citizens had assembled at the guildhall, but 
no adequate civil force was organized. The town was now 
at the mercy of a lawless rabble, increased by the bands 
of thieves and robbers, who had just issued from their 
cells, in all the insolence of successful villany. 

From the Gloucester County Prison, at Lawford's Gate, 
the mob proceeded to the Bishop's Palace ; and the mayor, 
with several persons who had been with him during the 
day, followed by as many citizens as could be collected, 
went down to the scene of action, having given orders for 
all the troops and special constables, which could be 
brought out, to be there. The constables, who had at- 
tempted to secure some of the mob, finding themselves 
deserted by the soldiers, who had proceeded to the k man- 
sion-house, in consequence of its being on fire, got away 
as well as they could, declaring that they would not again 
venture their lives. The Bishop's Palace, thus unprotected, 
was burnt to the ground. 

Six fires were now raging in different quarters of the 
city ; and night had closed in. " What are we to expect 
from these outlaws ? — what will they burn next ? " were 
questions anxiously put, by persons who were carrying 
through the streets their money, deeds, account books, 
and other valuables, with suspicious looks and anxious 
steps. 

After the mansion-house had been destroyed, the rioters 
began their attack upon the next house, forcing open the 
doors, and throwing out the furniture or valuables into 
the street; and thus continued sacking and burning the 



70 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

houses, one after another, until the north and west sides 
of the Square were entirely consumed, except two houses 
in the middle of the western side, which were bravely de- 
fended by the inhabitants. 

The walls, roofs, and rafters, were falling in with a 
momentary crash, followed by clouds of dust and smoke, 
and bursts of flame, and frantic yells from the dissolute 
crew, some of whom were occasionally disturbed in their 
revelries, by the flames they had kindled. Meanwhile 
the centre of the Square presented a spectacle not easily 
to be pourtrayed. Here were profligates of both sexes, 
collected from the lowest haunts of infamy ; the bully, the 
furious and besotted drunkard, and the swearer. Some 
were tossing firebrands into the houses, stealing wine and 
provisions, plate and furniture, and wantonly destroying 
far more. Others were fearlessly and openly insulting 
and robbing the persons whom they had burned out of 
their houses. Some were offering to sell stolen goods to 
the by-standers, or holding mock auctions. Port, claret, 
and champagne, were held up for sale at a penny or two- 
pence per bottle. A piano-forte, worth forty or fifty 
pounds, was bought from the thieves for a few shillings. 
Carts and cars, filled with beds, tables, chairs, plate, and 
stolen goods of every description, were rattling along the 
pavement, to receiving houses in the city and neighbour- 
hood. Others, with characteristic indifference to the 
future, were taking their miserable enjoyment of the pre- 
sent hour. Seated in companies on the grass, they 
greedily devoured the provisions they had stolen, and 
quaffed the wines, which were handed about in great pro- 
fusion. Men, women, and boys, were seen knocking off 



THE BRISTOL RIOTS. 71 

the necks of the bottles, and swallowing the liquor, till 
they fell senseless. To many it was their last horrid 
meal. Death was in the cup of drunkenness; the swift 
sword of the avenger was soon to pierce them through ; 
and the fires which lighted up their feast, were to be their 
funeral pile. 

The view of the fires from Clifton, Bedminster, and 
several miles around, was awfully grand. The night was 
dark and cloudy, and rainy betimes. Very mercifully the 
wind was low, and the flames were not furiously borne 
along ; but they rose high, in spiral wavy columns, and 
often threw around a shower of brilliant sparks. The 
thick smoke hung over the city, like a broad curtain, in 
massy folds, which glared with a peculiar tinge of dark 
red, passing into clouds of dun, and brown, and black, 
the canopy of a great conflagration. The glare from the 
burning buildings was, at times, so strongly reflected from 
some of the neighbouring streets, that the spectator was 
deceived into the belief that they also were on fire. 
When the fires were at their height, it was as light as 
day, for a range of several miles ; and this beacon of sedi- 
tion conveyed its baleful message as far as to the Welsh 
mountains. The varied outline of the city, with its nu- 
merous spires, the venerable cathedral, the lofty gothic 
tower of RedclifF, standing out in bold relief and dark 
contrast, or else brightly illuminated by a sudden flash or 
steady blaze ; the glowing water, the reflection from the 
canvass of the ships, and the changeful aspect of the sky, 
as the flames alternately rose and sunk, or grew faint and 
pale in the morning light: all these objects formed a 
scene which it is impossible to paint or to describe, as it 



72 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

appeared; but it will never be forgotten by those who 
beheld it. Withal it was so sudden and so strange, that 
many, as they stood gazing upon it, fancied it was a ter- 
rible dream, and could hardly believe their own senses, or 
think that others would believe the dreadful tale. 

As early as five o'clock on Monday morning, the mob 
attempted to set fire to the first house on the south side of 
the Square; but were prevented by Major Mackworth 
charging them, at the head of about twenty men of the 
3rd Dragoon Guards, when upwards of one hundred of 
the incendiaries were killed or wounded. This service 
accomplished, the 14th Light Dragoons were recalled 
from Keynsham, and were hailed by the citizens as their 
deliverers. These were soon joined by another troop of 
the 14th, from Gloucester, under Major Beckwith, and 
twelve men of the Bedminster Yeomanry, under their 
captain. This united force again assembled in Queen 
Square, and charged the mob, who fled in all directions. 

The military now divided themselves into companies of 
about twenty in each, galloped through the streets after 
the people, and cut down or rode over every person in 
their course. During the whole of this day the shops 
were shut, and public as well as private business entirely 
suspended. 

Awful are the instances in which some of the rioters 
perished. One man had his head severed from his body, 
by a single cut of the sabre. Several were pierced through. 
A case unusually dreadful occurred, in digging out the 
ruins in the Square, after the riots were over. A man, 
who had drunk himself into a state of insensibility in one 
of the vaults, was entombed there and scorched by the 



THE BRISTOL RIOTS. 73 

flames. He was found alive, but his arms were burnt to 
stumps, and be looked more like the trunk of an oak 
scathed by lightning, than a living being. In short, the 
numbers who died of drunkenness, perished in the flames, 
and were killed and wounded by the soldiers, were calcu- 
lated at about five hundred. 

The riots were now effectually checked ; and bodies of 
constables, armed with pistols, swords, and staves, were 
speedily organized. Reinforcements of yeomanry, infan- 
try, and artillery, were hourly arriving. It may with truth 
be said, on the sound of the drums and music dropping 
on the ears of the inhabitants, as the military approached, 
that ' there was great joy in this city.' Persons of every 
rank and station flocked to their doors, and greeted the 
soldiers' arrival with cheers. Monday night was now 
arrived, but not without alarm ; for an oil warehouse acci- 
dently caught fire. A continual firing from the ships in 
the harbour was kept up ; and the inhabitants very gene- 
rally put lights in their windows, from an apprehension 
the mob would put out the public lamps. 

On Tuesday morning the shops and public offices were 
opened for business ; and to prevent the entrance of bands 
of rioters from the country, troops were stationed at the 
outposts of the city. Crowds of spectators now ventured 
out to look at the ruins, which consisted of the Bishop's 
Palace, the Mansion House, the Custom House, the 
Excise Office, the Toll Gates Prince's Street, Bridewell, 
New Gaol, Gloucester Prison, and nearly fifty private 
houses and warehouses. Soldiers and constables were 
parading the streets, and entering the houses where stolen 
property was suspected to be concealed. Plate, furniture, 



74 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

&c. to a considerable amount, however, were recovered 
from families, who, from their respectability, would never 
have been suspected of participating in acts of such 
glaring dishonesty. The stolen goods were carried into 
some of the churches and the exchange, where it lay in 
confused heaps, from which the sorrowing owners sought 
out the broken and injured remains of their property. 

No doubt but the nation at large benefited by our loss, 
as the tumults of Bristol sounded an alarm through the 
length and breadth of the land. 

The property destroyed during the riots, was valued 
by twelve commissioners, one chosen out of each ward, 
agreeably to the provisions of an act of Parliament, at 
about £70,000. 



THE TRIALS OF THE PRISONERS. 

On Monday, January 2, 1832, Sir N. C. Tindall, Sir 
J. B. Bosanquet, Sir W. E. Taunton, appointed by the 
special commission to try the prisoners charged with 
being concerned in the riots, arrived in Bristol. There 
were eighty -one prisoners for trial ; of whom four were 
hung; one reprieved, (being proved insane) ; twenty-six 
transported lor life; seven were banished, for seven or 
fourteen years; and forty-three were sentenced to im- 
prisonment and hard labour, for various periods. 



COURTS MARTIAL. 

Col. Brereton. — On Monday, January 9, 1832, a Court 
Martial was held on Lieut.-Col. Brereton, the military 
commander of the district, at the Merchants' Hall, on 
charges of culpable misconduct and neglect, in the em- 



THE BRISTOL RIOTS. 75 

ployment of the troops under his command. The Court 
Martial had only sat four days, when its proceedings were 
suddenly terminated by the melancholy end of that un- 
happy officer. The responsibility of his situation, the 
agitating period of the riots, the blame he had incurred, 
his anxiety and mental suffering, during the public inves- 
tigation of his conduct, combined with a bad state of 
health, appear, from the verdict of the coroner's inquest, 
to have so excited and disordered his mind, as to produce 
temporary insanity, under the influence of which he shot 
himself through the heart, and thus drew a dark curtain 
around the last actions of his life. 



Capt. Warrington. — On Wednesday, January 18, a 
Court Martial was held on Captain Warrington, of the 
3rd Dragoon Guards, on certain charges connected with 
his conduct during the time of the riots. After hearing- 
evidence for and against the Captain for eight days, the 
Court sentenced him to be cashiered, but with permission 
to sell out ; which sentence was confirmed by the King. 

In closing the account of the remaining trial connected 
with the dreadful events above recited, it is only necessary 
to state, that on October 29th, 30th, and 31st, 1832, the 
trial of Charles Pinney, Esq., the Mayor of Bristol during 
the riots, came on, in the Court of King's Bench, " for not 
exerting his authority to repress such outrage ; also, that 
he omitted to give such orders and make such arrange- 
ments as were expedient and necessary," &c. &c. The 
sixth day concluded the trial, and the jury returned a 
verdict of Not Guilty. The prosecution against the 
aldermen were then withdrawn. 



76 



MODERN BRISTOL. 



SITUATION EXTENT — POPULATION — LOCAL GOVERNMENT — COM- 
MERCE— MANUFACTURES-— GEOLOGY AND COAL FIELDS — GREAT 
WESTERN AND BRISTOL AND EXETER RAILWAYS, ETC. ETC. 

Bristol, distant from Bath eleven miles and a 
half, N. W., and one hundred and eighteen by the 
Great Western Railway west from London, and 
for centuries reputed the second trading city in 
Great Britain, is still considered " The Metropolis 
of the West/' from its commerce, extent, and 
number of inhabitants. It lies partly in two coun- 
ties, and was erected, for the good services the 
King had received from it by sea and land, into a 
county of itself, by Edward III. The Avon 27 and 
the Froom 27 wind their way through it. The former 

v The river Avon has its rise in the northern limits of Wilt- 
shire ; and in its progress to Bristol passes through Melksham, 
Bradford, and Bath. The river Froom rises at Doddington, 
Gloucestershire, and passing through Iron Acton, Hambrook, 
Stoke Park, and Stapleton, enters Bristol, where it joins the 
Avon, and forms the Quay. 



MODERN BRISTOL — EXTENT. 77 

is the principal river: and at eight miles from its 
efflux into the Bristol Channel, or Severn sea, the 
city is built, for the most part on a thick bed of 
sand, generally yielding water at a few fathoms 
deep. The ground under the surface is perforated 
with drains and common sewers in all directions, 
which receive and carry off into one of the rivers 
the filth from almost every house in the city. It 
was from the above cause, no doubt, that an order 
of common council occurred in 1651, prohibiting 
the use of carts and waggons, only suffering sledges 
or drays. Camden, in giving our city credit for its 
cleanliness in forming " goutes " says, " they use 
sledges here instead of carts, lest they destroy the 
arches, beneath which are the goutes." Another 
writer says, " they suffer no carts to be used in the 
city, lest, as some say, the shake occasioned by 
them on the pavement should affect the Bristol 
milk, (sherry) in the vaults, which is certainly had 
here in the greatest perfection." The practice of 
using sledges exclusively is now superseded by the 
use of drays, with low strong iron wheels, on which 
from two to four hogsheads of sugar, rum, &c. are 
taken away from the ships' sides on the Quay to 
the various warehouses. 

The city, taken with its suburbs that pertain to 
and are connected with it, may be described as 
standing in a vale, on eminences, and on level 
ground. Some parts of it indeed are built on 



78 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

acclivities so very steep and lofty, as to render 
the use of carriages inconvenient. Kingsdown, 28 
St. Michael's Hill, and Brandon Hill, rise nearly 
two hundred and fifty feet perpendicular above the 
bed of the river ; and consequently, when viewed 
from such elevations, the lower buildings appear 
sunk in a deep valley, and the spectator looks 
down upon the loftiest spires. 

A fanciful resemblance has been discovered by 
some between Bristol and ancient Rome, chiefly 
drawn from this circumstance, — that both cities 
stand on seven hills, and have a muddy rapid 
river running through them. Some of the emi- 
nences on which Bristol stands, exhibit a variety 
of beauties; and are in general covered with 
houses and gardens, rising street over street to 
their very summit, whence there are delightful 
and extensive views over the city and circumjacent 
country. 

28 The Montacute, generally called Kingsdown, celebrated in 
days of yore as the "jousting place" for military exhibitions in 
the tented field, has been much more celebrated for its tavern and 
turtle feasts. By an odd coincidence, one Roger Turtle, in the 
fourteenth century, was mayor no less than seven times, viz. 
in 1326, 1330, 1332, 1333, 1335, 1340, and 1341; a circumstance 
which occasioned the following jeu d? esprit ; — 

" If old Roger Turtle was seven times mayor, 
An honour which fell to no other man's share ; 

His descendant, a Turtle, in the modern day, 
Bears, as mayor elect, a perpetual sway." 



MODERN BRISTOL JURISDICTION. 79 

The surrounding districts are variegated with 
high salubrious downs, producing the sweetest 
herbage ; fruitful valleys, watered by springs, rivu- 
lets, brooks, and rivers ; steep precipices and rocks, 
waving woods, and the most charming natural 
prospects, embellished by art. In the immediate 
vicinity are many handsome and pleasantly situ- 
ated villages, interspersed with seats of the nobility 
and gentry ; all of which unite to render Bristol 
an object of considerable attraction. 

Bristol is nearly ten miles in circumference, and 
supposed to cover about 2000 acres of land ; and 
with its vicinity contains upwards of nine hundred 
and fifty streets, squares, lanes, passages, and 
courts ; ten markets for various commodities ,* and 
upwards of five hundred licensed public houses, 
beer shops, &c. : the parish of Clifton, the out- 
parishes of St. Philip and Jacob, and St. Paul, 
part of Westbury, and part of Bedminster, are 
now subjoined to it for municipal and parliamen- 
tary purposes. The city measures from east to 
west, that is, from the top of St. Lawrence Hill to 
the colonnade at the Hotwell House, considerably 
more than three miles ; and from north to south, 
or from the top of Stoke 's Croft to the end of the 
buildings on the Bridgwater road, about two miles 
and a half. 

The Jurisdiction of the Corporation, by 
water, extends from Tower Haratz, on Temple 



80 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Backs, to Kingroad; and from thence down the 
south side of the Bristol Channel, as low as the 
two islands, called the Flat Holm (on which is 
erected a light house, seventy feet high) and the 
Steep Holm, famous for being the retirement of 
Gildas, the old Bristol historian ; and from thence 
directly eastward toward the Denny island, and so 
on again to Kingroad. 

The Population of the City and Suburbs, 
which include the new parliamentary boundary of 
the out-parishes of St. Philip and Jacob, St. James, 
and St. Paul, the parish of Clifton, and parts of the 
parishes of Westbury and Bedminster, as taken 
June 6, 1841, amounted to 126,988; being 10,448 
more than the census of 1831, and 40,945 more 
than the census of 1821 for the same district. 

Local Government or the City. — Bristol 
gives title to a Marquis, which is at present en- 
joyed by the noble family of Hervey. The title 
was created in 1622, by King James I. and first 
conferred upon the ancient family of Digby. 

The office of High Steward is first mentioned 
in the annals of Bristol, in the year 1540, when 
the Duke of Somerset possessed that dignity. Of 
its duties or emoluments no mention is made, 
except the statement that Oliver Cromwell served 
that office, and that he received a salary of five 
pounds as annexed to it: in addition to which, 
a pipe of Canary and half a tun of Gascoigne 



MODERN BRISTOL — CORPORATION. 



81 



wine were ordered to be presented to him. The 

present High Steward is his grace the Duke of 

Beaufort. 

THE 



ARMS OF 




BRISTOL. 



By a patent, dated 1569, the Arras of Bristol are declared to be " Gules, on 
a mount vert issuant out of a castle silver, upon wave a ship gold." The 
crest and supporters : " Upon the helm, in a wreath gold and gules, 
issuant out of the clouds, two arms in saltour and charnew, in the one 
hand a serpent vert, in the other a pair of balances gold ; supported by 
two unicorns sejant, gold maned and horned; and clayed sables mantled 
gules, doubled silver. The motto, Virtute et Industrial 

The Corporation consists of a Mayor, forty- 
eight Town Councillors, and sixteen Aldermen; 
who are respectively chosen agreeably to the pro- 
visions of the Municipal Reform Act. Subject to 
the Corporation are the Sheriff and his Deputy, 
the Recorder, (who must be a barrister of five 
years' standing) Town Clerk, Treasurer, City 
Solicitor, Sword Bearer, Clerk of the Peace, 
Clerks to the Magistrates, Coroner, Registrar of 
the Court of Conscience, Receiver of the Town 
Dues, Water Bailiff, Quay "Warden, Corn Metre 
and Weigher, Keepers of the Prison and Bridewell, 
Clerks of the Markets, Exchange Keeper, &c. who 
are elected annually. For municipal purposes 



82 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Bristol is divided into ten wards. The number of 
rated properties within the boundary is upwards 
of 20,000, of which 10,767 are within the old city 
bounds. The municipal constituency is under 4000. 

There are eighteen Magistrates, appointed by 
the Secretary of State for the Home Department ; 
some of whom daily attend with the Mayor, who 
presides, at the Council House. 

The Police establishment (also subject to the 
Corporation) have four station houses, viz. the 
City, (opposite the Bridewell, in Bridewell Lane) ; 
Clifton, (Brandon Hill) ; St. Philip and Jacob, 
(Clarence Place); and Bedminster. Their nu- 
merical force exceeds two hundred men, including 
superintendent, inspectors, Serjeants, &c. who day 
and night patrol the city and its boundaries. 

There are very large estates in the city and else- 
where, under the control of twenty-one charity 
trustees, left in trust, for the support of public 
schools, alms houses, &c. The trustees received 
their appointment from the Lord Chancellor in 
1836, when the old corporation, who were origi- 
nally appointed by the different donors to the super- 
intendence and administration of their charities, 
was dissolved. 

One of the two judges who go the western circuit, 
comes to Bristol in August yearly, to hear and 
determine at the Guildhall law suits only, arising 
in Bristol as a citv and countv. Also the recorder. 



MODERN BRISTOL COURTS OF EQUITY. 83 

who presides as judge, holds a quarter sessions for 
trying minor offences committed within the boun- 
dary formed by the Municipal Corporation Act. 
Charges for capital offences are tried at Gloucester. 

A spacious prison, on the plan of Howard, called 
Lawford's Gate Prison, was erected about thirty- 
seven years since, at the end of Gloucester Lane, on 
the road to Stapleton, The Petty Sessions are held 
every Thursday in the Sessions' Poom adjoining 
the prison, for offences committed within the county 
of Gloucester, as well as at Ashton every fortnight 
at the Workhouse, for offences committed in that 
part of Bedminster which is still, for criminal 
jurisdiction and other purposes, retained to the 
county of Somerset. 

A Court of Requests is held every Tuesday in 
the Guildhall, Broad Street, for the recovery of 
debts above two and under fifteen pounds, con- 
tracted within the jurisdiction of the city. The 
corporation appoints all the officers. 

A Court of Conscience for the recovery of 
debts under forty shillings, is held every Monday : 
office in All Saints' Lane. The two sheriffs hold 
courts also, for determining writs of inquiry. 

The Tolzey Court is an ancient court of record 
for the recovery of debts and damages to any 
amount. The judge is appointed by the corpora- 
tion, and the causes are tried by a jury as at Nisi- 
Prius. The Pie Powder Court is a branch of the 



84 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Tolzey Court, and is held on the 29th of Sept. 
annually under the piazza in the Old Market. 

Her Majesty's District Court of Bank- 
ruptcy, Guildhall, Bristol, Commissioners, 
Mr. Serjeant Stephen and R. Stephenson, Esq, 
The court sits every day at 1 1 o'clock ; its officers 
are in attendance from half-past 10 till half-past 3, 
This district court comprehends all places locally 
situated in the counties of Gloucester and Mon- 
mouth, and all places included within or to be con- 
sidered as forming parts of the northen division of 
the county of Wilts, the eastern division of the 
county of Somerset, the county of the city of Bristol, 
and the several counties of Brecon, Cardigan, Car- 
marthen, Glamorgan, Pembroke, and Radnor, in 
Wales. 

Bristol sends two members to parliament. The 
right of voting is at present vested in freeholders of 
forty shillings per year and upwards, householders 
whose rental amounts to ten pounds per annum, 
and burgesses or freemen, if residing within the 
bounds limited by the reform bill. The freedom 
is confined to freemen's children born previously 
to the passing of the reform bill. No freeman is 
disqualified from voting, except he receive paro- 
chial relief or assistance from an alms house, or be 
employed in any office under government. The 
present number of freeholders and free burgesses 
is about ten thousand. 



MODERN BRISTOL — COMMERCE. 85 

Commerce. — Bristol has been described by seve- 
ral writers as a place of great traffic, as early as the 
reign of King Stephen, and as one of the richest 
cities of England, receiving merchandize from 
neighbouring and foreign places, " with ships un- 
der sail." However questionable the statement 
that merchandize was imported from foreign ports 
into Bristol, before the use of the mariner's com- 
pass was known, it is quite certain that as early as 
1415 Maister Canynges was engaged in an exten- 
sive foreign trade from this port: and that the 
illustrious Cabot, a native of Bristol, in 1497 dis- 
covered Newfoundland, 29 and distinctly described 
the coast of Florida the year before Columbus 
made his voyage. He was also the first who ob- 
served the variation of the needle in the mariner's 
compass. In 1549, Cabot proposed to trade to 
Archangel, and thus established an intercourse be- 
tween Russia and this country. King Edward VI. 
allowed him a pension of £166 per annum, and 



29 Robert Thorn, one of trie founders of the grammar school, 
sheriff of Bristol in 1503, writes thus to Doctor Leigh : — " This 
inclination and desire of this discovery I inherited from my 
father, who with another merchant of Bristol, named Hugh 
Elliot, were the discoverers of the Newfoundlands, of which 
there is no doubt (as now plainly appeareth) , if the mariners 
would have been ruled then and followed the pilot's [Cabot] 
mind, but the lands of the West Indies, from whence all the 
gold cometh, had been ours ; for all is one coast, as by the chart 
appeareth." 



86 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

made him governor of the Russian company. He 
lived to the age of eighty-eight. 

In 1609, a colony of settlers from Bristol estab- 
lished themselves in Newfoundland; Mr. Guy, a 
common-council man of Bristol, undertaking to be 
their general leader. 

Another great nautical adventurer of this city, 
we find in the person of Captain Thomas James, 
sent out by the merchants of this port, in search of 
the north-west passage, in 1631 ; he wintered at 
Charlton Island, and during his voyage elucidated 
no inconsiderable part of Hudson's Bay. 

But the climax of its exhibition for public spirit 
and commercial enterprise was reserved for the 
present day, in projecting and carrying on to com- 
pletion, the Great Western, the Bristol and Exeter, 
and the Bristol and Gloucester Railways, (the 
latter is now amalgamated with the Birmingham and 
Gloucester and Midland Railway) ; in erecting and 
completing large and massive buildings, the Great 
Western Cotton Factory; and in being the first 
port to build a steamer (the Great Western), at 
an outlay of nearly £70,000 to cross the Atlantic 
from hence to New York, which has proved herself 
superior to every other in expedition and ac- 
curacy. Her size is equal to an eighty gun ship ; 
she has four masts, and her registered admeasure- 
ment 1,700 tons; length 236 feet; breadth from 
out to out of the paddle box, 59 feet ; and engines 



MODERN BRISTOL COMMERCE. 87 

and machinery of 450 horse-power. She has four 
boilers, with ample room to walk between them ; 
each boiler holds 20 tuns of water, and weighs 24 
tons. Her stowage room is arranged for the recep- 
ton of 800 tons of coal, in iron boxes, which is 
sufficient for twenty-five days' consumption ; and 
notwithstanding the necessarily large space devoted 
to the above, she has 136 berths for passengers, 
independent of cabins for officers and crew. The 
saloon is 63 ft. in length, by 32 in breadth, and is 
most splendidly fitted up in the style of the age of 
Louis Quatorze. 

The gigantic iron steamer the Great Britain, 
originally built as a companion to the Great 
Western, in her alternate voyages across the 
Atlantic, was floated out of dock on Wednesday, 
July 19, 1843, in the presence of his Royal High- 
ness Prince Albert, who condescended to accept 
an invitation on that occasion from the directors 
of the Great Western Steam Ship Company, and 
whose reception into our ancient and loyal city was 
most enthusiastic, triumphal arches being erected 
in various parts of the line of rout. This mag- 
nificent and splendid iron steamer is the largest 
ever built in Europe, and no doubt will prove the 
vast advantage of iron over wood in the power of 
buoyancy, in commerce, and in war. The weight 
of iron used in the ship and the engines is up- 
wards of 1,500 tons ; burden, 3,500 tons ; power, 



88 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

1,000 horse ; length, from figure-head to tafrail, 
322 feet ; length of keel, 289 feet ; extreme width, 
50 feet 6 inches, unincumbered with paddle boxes; 
depth of hold, 32 feet 6 inches, and when loaded 
draws about 16 feet of water. 

She has four decks ; the first or upper deck is 
flush, and measures 308 feet in length. 

The second deck consists of two promenade 
saloons, the aft or first class is 110 ft. 6 in. by 22 ft. ; 
and the forward or second class, 67 ft. by 21 ft. 9 in. 
They are well lighted and ventilated. 

The third deck consists of the dining saloons, 
the Grand Saloon being 98 feet 6 inches by 30 ft. ; 
and the second class, or Forward Saloon, 61 feet 
by 21 feet 9 inches. 

These saloons are all 8 feet 3 inches high, and 
surrounded with sleeping rooms, of which there 
are 26 with one bed, and 113 with two beds, giving 
252 berths. These are, of course, the same height : 
and an improvement has been introduced which 
affords, by means of passages, much greater privacy 
than in any vessel heretofore built : — this is a great 
advantage. 

The fourth deck is appropriated to cargo, of 
which she can carry 1,200 tons, besides coals 
1,000 tons. Underneath this deck, in the after- 
part of the ship, is an iron fresh-water tank, and 
in the fore-part is an air chamber from the boiler 
to the fore-bulkhead. 



MODERN BRISTOL COMMERCE. 89 

The forecastle is appropriated to the officers and 
sailors' mess-rooms and sleeping berths; underneath 
are sail-rooms, &c. 

The middle part of the vessel, a space of 80 feet 
is occupied by the engines, boilers, engineers' 
room, and cooking department, which is over the 
boilers. There are three boilers, capable of con- 
taining 200 tuns of water, heated by 24 fires, and 
four engines, each of 250 horse-power. The cylin- 
ders are 88 inches in diameter, and the chimney is 
8 feet in diameter and 39 feet high. She has six 
masts, all but the mainmast (which is 74 ft. above 
deck,) capable of being lowered upon the deck, like 
the masts of sloops, and carries about 5,000 yards 
of canvass. Her consumption of coals is about 60 
tons per day. She is propelled by the Archimedian 
screw, on the plan of the patentee, Mr. F. P. Smith. 
Her draught of water when loaded willbe about 16 
ft., and her displacement of water about 3,000 tuns. 

The deck planks are fastened to the angle-iron by 
screws from below, and firmly secured at each end 
to the vertical ribs, which affords a support to the 
sides in resisting both external and internal pressure, 
and are supported lengthwise by longitudinal beams 
and stanchions. To preserve the hull from spring- 
ing horizontally, there are diagonal tension bars 
placed between the angle-iron bars and deck planks. 
One of the most remarkable parts of the machinery 
is the wrought iron mainshaft, manufactured at the 



90 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Mersey Iron Works. This is the largest shaft ever 
constructed, weighing about sixteen tons. Her 
pumps are worked by machinery, and are capable 
of throwing off 7,000 gallons per minute. The 
cost of the Great Britain is about £128,000. She 
finally left Bristol for London on Thursday, Jan. 23, 
1845, where she lay for inspection till June, and 
thence, started for Liverpool, calling at Plymouth 
and Falmouth on her way; and again starting from 
Liverpool for New York in July, 1845, between 
which ports she is now a regular trader. 

The advantageous situation of Bristol as a com- 
mercial port cannot be surpassed, perhaps, either 
on the western or southern coast, for accommoda- 
tion and safety, especially since 1804, when at an 
expense of £600,000, levied on the inhabitants by 
a rate still payable, that great undertaking was 
commenced of converting the bed of the Avon into 
an immense floating dock, and the cutting of a new 
and capacious channel for the tide, commencing 
about a quarter of a mile towards Bath from the 
Cattle Market, and terminating at Cumberland 
Basin, Hotwells. This basin is very spacious, and 
was formed for the reception of the largest craft, as 
was Bathurst Basin, in the centre of the New Cut, 
for receiving the coasters. 

From Cumberland Basin the river Avon, at full 
tide, is deep and navigable down to Kingroad, 
where it joins the Severn; where 1,000 sail might 



MODERN BRISTOL — COMMERCE. 91 

safely ride at anchor in all weathers ; and from 
whence a ship of 1,000 tons burthen might reach 
the Quay 30 in the very heart of the city, and its 
contents be transferred to Gloucester, London, 
Exeter, or elsewhere, in a few hours by railroad. 

But notwithstanding all its claims — its early 
commercial importance — its immense outlay in 
making a convenient and safe floating harbour, 
and its recent public spirit ; Bristol must necessa- 
rily yield to its powerful rival Liverpool in local 
advantages, viz. in its central situation, its proximity 
to the Irish coast, and its neighbourhood to Man- 
chester and to the great clothing districts of the 
north, into which it imports the cotton of the 
eastern and western hemispheres, and from which 
again it receives the manufactured fabrics that fill 
the markets of the world. 

The following tables, taken from the Report of 
the Chamber of Commerce published in February, 
1846, will shew the state of the trade of this port up 
to January 5, 1846. It appears from the increasing 

30 The Quay, from tlie stone bridge at the bottom of Small 
Street, to the old Bristol Bridge at the bottom of High Street, 
measures upwards of one mile in extent, and is one uninter- 
rupted wharf of stone. Its several portions are known by the 
names of the Quay, Broad Quay, the Grove, and the Welsh 
Back. There are several dock yards, for building and repairing 
of vessels, on the banks of the Froom and the Avon, of con- 
siderable magnitude, especially one near Cumberland Basin, 
formed bv the late firm of Acraman & Co, 



92 



CHILCOTT S BRISTOL GUIDE. 



number of removals of Foreign Goods from other 
ports to Bristol for the last six years^ that the 
demand exceeds the direct import, and consequently 
that foreign vessels are deterred from coming here 
on account of the port charges and want of back 
cargoes. These evils the citizens are strenuously 
endeavouring to remove by offering to purchase 
the Docks of the Dock Company, and taking into 
their own hands their future management, by 
which they hope to lessen the dues, add to the 
number of manufacturers, and consequently in- 
crease the trade of the port. 

An Account of the total number of Ships, icith their Tonnage, in- 
cluding their repeated Voyages, that have entered inwards and 
cleared outwards at this Port, with Cargoes, from and to Foreign 
Parts, in the year ending 5th January, 1846, distinguishing each 
Kingdom or State, and British Ships from Foreign. 



KINGDOMS OR 
STATES. 



Europe. 
Russia, Northern 
Ports... 
Black Sea 
Norway 
Sweden 
Denmark 
Prussia 
Holland 
Germany 
France 
Portugal — Proper . 
Azores . 
Spain — Proper . . 





INWARDS 




OUTWARDS. 


BRITISH. 


FOREIGN. 


BRITISH. 


FOREIGN. 


ships 


tons 


ships 


tons 


ships 


tons 


ships 


tons 


40 


8232 


9 


2285 










3 


757 


1 


312 






1 


367 






6 


1373 


... 




1 


153 






1 


382 










1 


84 


6 


722 






1 


143 






18 


3952 






3 


815 


10 


895 


3 
2 


267 
461 


6 


444 


1 


66 


9 


664 


10 


933 


2 


221 


1 


42 


9 


668 


6 


506 


2 


135 






24 


1535 














23 


1658 










1 ... 





MODERN BRISTOL COMMERCE. 



93 



(Continued.) 



KINGDOMS OB, 


INWARDS. 


OUTWARDS. 


BRITISH. 


FOREIGN. 


BRITISH. 


FOREIGN. 


STATES. 


ships 


tons 


ships 


tons 


ships 

2 
3 

4 


tons 


ships 


tons 


Duchy of Tuscany. 
Naples and Sicily . 
AustrianTerritories 


5 

24 

1 


631 

2649 

159 


"i 


180 


303 
259 
532 




Gibraltar, Malta, & 
Ionian Islands... 


13 


1608 














Turkey 

Sardinia 


17 


2422 


'i 


399 










Greece 


2 


357 






1 


126 






Africa. 


















Coast 


22 


3640 






14 


2052 






Mauritius ... 


1 


177 














Asia. 


















Calcutta 


3 


975 






6 


2420 






Canton 


1 


388 














America. 


















Newfoundland — 


8 


904 






9 


963 






Canada 


45 


26822 






5 


1285 






New Brunswick ... 


21 


7418 






2 


1250 






Prince Edward's 


















Island ... 


3 


1191 






1 


186 






Antigua 


2 


392 






3 


599 






Barbadoes... 


7 


2291 






7 


2299 






Jamaica 


12 


3581 






12 


3691 






Nevis & St. Kitt's . 


6 


830 






7 


973 






St. Yincent 


3 


1214 






3 


1214 






Tobago 


3 


961 






3 


961 






Trinidad ... 


10 


2455 






8 


2032 






Demerara... 


7 


2521 






8 


2765 






Honduras 


2 


758 














Cuba 


1 


216 


... 












United States 


4 


1175 


5 


2482 


3 


1040 


1 


634 


Chili 


1 


348 






1 


349 






Peru 


3 


850 














Jersey & Guernsey 
Total 


14 

360 


791 


69 




io 

122 


584 


9 




82237 


14254 


26683 


2220 



Total inwards, 429 vessels — 96,491 tonnage; total outwards, 
131 vessels— 28,903 tonnage. 

For the year ending the 5th of January, 1845, the returns 
were : — Total inwards, 402 vessels — 81,905 tonnage ; total out- 
words, 138 vessels — 28,516 tonnage. 



94 



CHILCOTT S BRISTOL GUIDE. 



An Account of the Exports, from the Port of Bristol, ofiheprinci* 
pal articles of British and Irish produce and manufactures in the 
year ending 5th January, 1846, compared with the Exports of the 
two preceding years, ending 5th January, 1844 and 1845. 



ARTICLES. 


1844. 


1845. 


1846. 




£ 


s. 


d 


£ 


s. 


d. 


£ 


5. d. 


Coal and Culm 


4,462 


15 


{ 


3,388 


4 





3,567 


6 6 


Cotton Manufac. 


40,550 








34,534 


16 





34,352 


13 


,, Yarn ... 


50,840 








48,000 








30,766 


3 


Earthenware . . . 


2,246 


8 





2,596 








2,521 





Glass 


5,773 


4 





6,801 








5,320 





Hardware and 


















Cutlery 


604 








434 








591 





Linen Manufac. 


3,896 


16 





1,253 








894 





Metals, viz. — 


















Iron & Steel ... 


37,537 


13 





40,724 








29,920 





Copper & Brass 


18,909 


6 





21,805 


10 





26,484 





Lead 


1,450 


19 





3,503 


6 





3,660 





Tin, un wrought 


47 








566 


15 





460 





Tin Plates ... 


7,250 


17 





6,630 


11 





8,439 





Salt 


1,897 


14 





1,300 








2,032 





Silk Manufact. . 


4,254 








20 








200 





Woollen Manuf. 


8,808 








4,591 


16 





1,676 
150,883 


17 
19 6 


188,528 


12 





176,148 


18 






Removals to this Port of Foreign Goods from other Ports under 



Numbers of 
Removals. 


For the Years ending January 5th. 


1841. 


1842. 


1843. 


1844. 


1845. 


1846. 


584 


635 


871 | 709 


949 


887 



An Account of the Gross and Net Produce of the D UTIES oj 
CUSTOMS at this Port, in the Year ending oth January, 1846, 
compared with the Produce in the preceding Years, ending 5th 
January, 1842, 1843, 1844, and L845. 



Gross 

Receipt of 

Duties. 


Year ending 5th January, 


1842. 


1843. 


1844. 


1845. 


1846. 


£ 

1,046,800 


£ 
965,275 


£ 

996,750 


£ 

1,007,832 


£ 

919,149 



MODERN BRISTOL — COMMERCE. 95 

The chief dependence of Bristol upon its foreign 
trade is to the British plantations in the West 
Indies, to the various ports of Europe and the 
Ionian Islands, Africa, the Mauritius, East Indies, 
and China, as well as to Canada, and the British 
North American possessions, to the United States 
of North America, Newfoundland, &c. 

There is also a trade of some magnitude between 
Bristol and Ireland. The imports principally con- 
sist of woollens, linens, cottons, grain, flour, provi- 
sions, whiskey, porter, &c. &c, besides a large 
number of live stock. The exports from Bristol to 
Ireland are wrought iron, leather, raw and refined 
sugar, tea, tin plates, bottles, &c. &c. The follow- 
ing shews the number of Irish imports and exports 
ending January 5, for the years 1845 and 1846 : — 

1845. | 1846. 

Vessels. Tons. Vessels. Tons. 

Inwards 547 88,668 Inwards 708 103,793 

Outwards 310 69,050 | Outwards 324 78,029 

The number of other Coasters, with their ton- 
nage, which have entered and departed from our 
Port for the years 1845 and 1846, are as follows : — 



1845. 




1846. 




Vessels. 


Tons. 


Vessels. 


Tons. 


Inwards 6,229 


388,311 


Inwards 5,334 


290,524 


Outwards 3,530 


274,263 


Outwards 3,114 


209,307 



The live stock imported into Bristol from Ireland,- 



96 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

for the years ending in December, 1843, 1844, and 
1845, are as under: — 

Horses. 





Pigs. 


Sheep. 


Cattle. 


1843, 


65,150 


685 


736 


1844, 


30,880 


437 


173 


1845, 


32,926 


1,603 


1,015 



38 

The Tides. — The changes in the state of tide 
in our Avon are very remarkable. At low water 
it has all the appearance of a wide muddy ditch, 
and incapable of floating a cock boat; at high 
water a ship of 1,000 tons may ride majestically 
on its surface from Kingroad to the Bristol Quay. 
Professor Whewell, in his observations on " The 
Theory of Tides" says, that "at the Port of Bristol 
the tides rise to a height of fifty feet, while to- 
wards the lower part of the channel they only 
rise to twenty, and along other parts of the coast 
not quite so high." 

The laws by which the tides are regulated have 
recently much engaged the attention of scientific 
men, and hence the interest taken in their develop- 
ment. At the suggestion of Professor Whewell a 
self-registering Tide Gauge was erected in 1833, 
at Hungroad, near the mouth of the Avon, upon 
the estate of the late Richard Bright, Esq. by the 
members of the Literary and Philosophical Society, 
and was kept in operation for several years. Subse- 
quently Mr. T. G. Bunt, a gentleman of this city, 
who publishes annually the Tide Tables for this 



- MODERN BRISTOL — MANUFACTORIES. 97 

port, invented a self-registering Tide Gauge, con- 
sisting of a clock, a cylinder, a float, and a pencil. 
The cylinder is covered with a sheet of paper, and 
made to revolve once in twenty-four hours. The 
float causes the pencil to rise and fall with the tide, 
and describe curves on the paper, showing the 
exact time and height of every high water. A full 
description of this instrument, with engravings, 
may be seen in the Philosophical Transactions, and 
in the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana, under the 
article of Tides and Waves. It was erected in 
front of the Hotwell House, at the joint expense 
of the Corporation, the Dock Company, and 
the Society of Merchant Venturers, in the year 
1837, and has been in operation ever since. The 
results of the observations made by it on lunar and 
solar influence, atmospheric pressure, &c. &c. are 
very interesting, and will be found in the reports 
of the British Association for 1841, &c. 

Manufactories. — The great facility of obtain- 
ing good coal at low prices in the immediate 
neighbourhood of Bristol, offer very great en- 
couragement for the multiplication of our manu- 
facturing establishments. Among the principal 
now established may be named the following : — 

Great Western Cotton Works. — The intro- 
duction of this source of prosperity into Bristol 
had long engaged public attention ; but it was not 
till 1837 that active measures were taken to effect 

H 



98 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

it, by the association of several of the leading in- 
habitants of the city with an eminent manufacturer 
of Manchester. 

An immense pile of building, for the purpose of 
cotton-spinning and weaving, has been erected in 
the Out-Parish of St. Philip and Jacob, on the 
margin of the Avon, and the works are now in 
full operation; having engines of eighty-horse 
power each, and two of twenty each, constantly 
at work. The bleaching works are complete. 

The print annexed shows the mill where the 
cotton is spun into yarn. The room at the foot of 
the mill is the weaving room, where about 700 per- 
sons, chiefly young girls, are employed in making 
the yarn spun in the mill into cloth. The whole 
establishment is a perfect model of comfort and 
good arrangement, and employs about 1,700 hands. 

In the building to the left, all the looms and a 
considerable portion of the other machinery are 
made and repaired. There is also a large iron 
foundry erected, capable of turning off twenty tons 
per week, and from which all the machinery, made 
on the premises has been cast. The bridge erected 
over the Feeder, called St. Philip's Bridge, was 
cast and put together by this establishment. 

The Brass Works, originally formed at Baptist 
Mills, 33 at the distance of one mile to the north-east 

33 So named because adults were formerly baptised in the 
Proom river, on the banks of which the works were built. 



MODERN BRISTOL MANUFACTORIES. 99 

of the city, but now removed to Keynsham, were 
the first manufactory of that compound metal ever 
established in this country; the workmen being 
brought from Holland. It is either drawn into 
wire, or formed into what is termed battery, for 
the home or export trade. Dr. Watson, who was 
Bishop of LlandafF, speaking of Bristol brass, says, 
" it is quite free from knots or hard places, arising 
from iron, to which other brass is subject ; and this 
quality, as it respects the magnetic needle, renders 
it of great importance in making compasses for 
navigation." The firm is " Harford's and Bristol 
Brass and Copper Company." — Offices, Corn Street. 

There are two considerable Lead Works ; the 
proprietors of one are Messrs. Riddle & Co., Avon 
Street, St. Philip's ; — and of the other Messrs. 
Bayly & Co., at Easton, Gloucestershire : at each 
manufactory the lead is smelted from the ore, 
rolled, or cast into sheets. These firms also manu- 
facture white lead in great purity. 

The Bristol Patent Shot, manufactured on 
Pedcliff Hill, has obtained so decided a preference, 
on account of its rotundity, that it is in great de- 
mand at home and abroad. The patent for its 
manufacture was taken out by the late Mr. William 
Watts, 34 the predecessor of the present proprietors, 

34 The discovery is said to have arisen from a dream by Mrs. 
Watts, the wife of the patentee. She told her husband that 
she had been engaged whilst asleep in making those diminutive 
globes, by dropping melted lead from a great height into a well 
of watpr beneath. 



100 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Christopher George & Co., who also manufacture 
lead into milled and cast sheets, and patent lead 
pipes. Their lead smelting works are at Black 
Sworth, St. George's. 

The Soap manufactured in Bristol is universally 
esteemed. One of our MS. calendars has the fol- 
lowing notice : — " 124:2. This year grey soap was 
sold from the city to London, to one John Lamb, 
who retailed it at one penny per pound, and black 
soap at a half-penny per pound." 

The Iron Foundries and Wrought Iron 
Manufactories here are of considerable magni- 
tude, where steam engines, anchors of the largest 
size, chain cables, &c. are manufactured. 

The Spelter Works at Warmley are of con- 
siderable importance. 

Wine and Porter Bottles are manufactured 
on an extensive scale, by Messrs. Powell, Brothers, 
& Co. ; also by Messrs. Bicketts & Co., Avon 
Street, St. Philip's. 

Messrs. Lucas, Coathupe, & Co. have a manu- 
factory of Crown Glass at Nailsea. Their ware- 
house is in Nicholas Street, Bristol. 

There is also a considerable establishment at 
Temple Gate, for the manufacture of Flint Glass, 
which is of very superior quality. Strangers are 
admitted to inspect it by leaving their address at 
the counting-house. 

The Potteries are very extensive, particularly 



MODERN BRISTOL — MANUFACTORIES. 101 

that known as " The Bristol Pottery/' situated on 
Temple Backs, under the firm of Pountney & Co. 
The ware manufactured here bears a strong resem- 
blance to that of the late Mr. Wedgwood, and 
forms an article of considerable export, in addition 
to the demand at home. The various processes of 
forming the ware, of glazing, printing, painting, and 
enamelling it, are very curious and interesting to 
the visitor. — Strangers are admitted on application 
at the counting-house. 

The Bristol Distilleries, for the rectifying 
of spirits, are extensively employed ; particularly 
in the article of Gin. 

The Bristol Sugar Refiners have superior 
methods, and their loaf sugar is accordingly much 
esteemed. The single refined sugars of Bristol 
obtain higher prices abroad than any others. 

Extensive premises are employed for the manu- 
facture of Tobacco and Snuff in this city. 

There are every large establishments here en- 
gaged in the manufacture of Hats. 

The superior excellence of the Painted Floor 
Cloth manufactured here, has excited universal 
admiration, having been invented and brought to 
the utmost perfection by Messrs. Hare, of this city. 
Pieces of twenty-seven feet in width, and one hun- 
dred and eighty in length, of the richest patterns, 
have been produced at their manufactory, near 
Temple Gate. 



102 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

The Patent Chocolate and Cocoa manufac- 
tured by Messrs. Fry & Sons, of Union Street, has 
obtained considerable celebrity. 

There are several large establishments in the 
neighbourhood engaged in the manufacture of Pins. 

The travellers of the Bristol manufacturers and 
wholesale dealers visit all the western counties and 
principal places, from Southampton to the banks of 
the Trent in the north, as well as to South and 
North Wales, and the English counties bordering 
on the Severn and the Wye. 

Coal Fields, Geology, &c. — Bristol, as well as 
its vicinity, is in general supplied with coals from 
Kingswood, Bedminster, Ashton, Nailsea, Brisling- 
ton, and Coal-pit Heath, near the city ; although 
a large quantity is also imported from Newport, &c. 

The coal fields, watered by the Avon, extend 
from the vicinity of Bristol to the south and 
east for the space of thirty miles. The beds are 
few and thin, compared to those of Wales, War- 
wickshire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire, and Newcastle. 
Here the pits never penetrate through more than 
two or three veins. 

The coal field of Bristol is divided into a lower 
series of numerous alterations (probably fifty) of 
sand-stones, shales, and clays, with coal seams, and 
an upper series of similar deposits, with fewer 
changes, separated from the lower by thick sand- 
stone beds called Pennant The quantity of coal, 



MODERN BRISTOL GEOLOGY. 103 

about 60 feet, equals or even surpasses that of the 
northern or midland coal field, yet far less profita- 
ble, on account of its being separated into a large 
number of small beds, in consequence of which not 
one half of the coal is available. The miners have 
penetrated to the depth of 200 fathoms at Bedmin- 
ster ; and at Radstock even to 250 fathoms. 35 

But though the miner cannot realise a princely 
fortune, as in other districts, no country can be 
more interesting to the student with regard to 
organic remains, and to the variety and structure 
of its rocks and ores. Lead combined with cala- 
mine has been found in large nodules at Southmead, 
near Westbury ; and manganese occurs at Leigh 
and Mendip, in thin veins. About a hundred 
yards above Bedminster bridge, the earth called 
strontian may be seen at low water, in veins of five 
or six inches in thickness, and even sulphate of 
strontian has been found. It apparently refuses 
every vestige of pollution from the red soil with 
which it is thickly coated. "When the new course 
of the river was made, oak trees, deer's horns, boars' 
and other teeth, blue sulphate of iron formed in 
the clay, and beds of gravel, were found. 

The paucity of organic remains in sand-stone 
has been frequently remarked : at Nailsea, however, 
there is a large bed of sand-stone full of black 

35 Mr. W. L. Sanders's Lecture on Geology, at the Philoso- 
phical Institution, Park Street, January, 1843. 



104 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

marks, which indicate the remains of vegetable 
matter combined with oxides of iron. At Frenchay, 
a vein of coal has been found, a quarter of an inch 
thick, in the solid rock: the remains of animals 
have been found there. Lithophytes have occurred 
in the quarry at Brislington Common, not only 
small black marks, but broad leaves of the agce 
class : bamboo canes have been found. In this red 
sand-stone a remarkable formation of globular 
nodules (oblated, however, at the bottom, and on 
that account called (C hell moulds") is sometimes 
found in the heart of the rock, separated by a thick 
coating of oxides of iron. They are known to the 
colliers by fatal experience, for whilst the miner is 
working in an inclined position, which is always 
the case where the beds of coal are thin, the con- 
tinued strokes of his pick-axe gradually loosen the 
bell mould, which eventually drops out of its 
socket, and kills or maims him without the least 
warning. 

The ranges of mountain lime-stone no where 
discover themselves in bolder characters than at 
the Black Rock and St. Vincent's. The strata here 
succeed one another in more than a hundred 
couches, dipping eastward at an angle of thirty 
and sometimes forty degrees ; but at Henbury the 
dip is almost vertical ; while on the Mendip range 
it often becomes less than twenty degrees. In the 



MODERN BRISTOL — GEOLOGY. 105 

rock opposite the mouth of the Avon, the dip is 
toward the west 

Beneath the lime-stone is the mill-grit rock, 
(amygdaloid, or plum-pudding stone). At the Pill 
landing place its stratum is level with the tide, and 
the whole village is built upon it. At Brandon 
Hill it again appears : and here it is so hard that 
it has been compared to porphyry. It is afterwards 
traced in different directions for many miles. This 
rock occasionally affords fluor spar. 

For a general view of our district the geologist 
is recommended to ascend the summit of Dundry 
Hill, about three miles from this city. Perhaps 
there is no other station in Europe which brings 
into view so rich a variety of formations, including 
so nearly the whole series of rocks, from the oldest 
transition to the newest secondary — from Grau- 
wacke slate to chalk — as the hills of Dundry, Men- 
dip, Quantock, Cheddar, &c. &c. 

The florid ferruginous character of the soil in the 
city and in the whole neighbourhood of Bristol 
(whence the names iiWcliff, iiWland,) has long 
been considered a strong evidence of the existence 
of iron ore, and about fifteen years since some of a 
very fine quality was discovered on the estate of 
Sir John Smyth, Bart., of Ashton ; subsequently 
large quantities have been raised at Winford and 
Wrington, Somerset, of the very best quality, and 
shipped for the iron foundries in South Wales. 



106 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY, 

whilst it presented, at the time of its formation, 
one of the greatest public works ever constructed 
in this or any other country, afforded a proof of 
what the enterprise of our capitalists and the extra- 
ordinary genius of its chief engineer (Mr. Brunei) 
could effect. 

The first contract in the London division of the 
line (the Wharncliffe Viaduct at Han well) was let 
on the 26th of November, 1835 ; and within the 
next six months, the rest of the contracts as far 
as Maidenhead (excepting about four miles near 
London) were also undertaken by responsible par- 
ties. In the Bristol division, the first contract let was 
a length of about two miles and three quarters, from 
the river Avon to a field in the parish of Keynsham, 
comprising a bridge over the river, and three 
tunnels. This work was commenced in April, 1836. 
The permanent shafts for the Box tunnel (twenty- 
eight feet diameter, and averaging two hundred and 
forty feet in depth) were let in September, 1836, 
but no portion of the tunnel itself was contracted 
for until September, 1837, and the larger part of 
it not until February, 1838. This stupendous work 
stands unrivalled for magnitude amongst works of 
its kind. The area of its section is about nine 
hundred square feet, its length three thousand two 
hundred yards, and it is perfectly straight, so that 



MODERN BRISTOL — GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY. 107 

the light is visible through it from end to end. It 
occupied about three years to complete it; and 
upwards of twenty millions of bricks were used in 
the arching, besides a great extent of freestone 
walling. The whole expense of completing this 
tunnel was upwards of £200,000. It was as late as 
the autumn of 1839, before some of the important 
works on the line between Bristol and Bath could 
be commenced. 

The following summary of facts, collected from 
the published reports of the Company, may be 
deemed interesting, and are therefore inserted 
here : — 

PERIODS OF COMPLETION AND OPENING OF 
THE LINE, ETC. 

1835. Aug. 31. Act received the royal assent. 

Nov. 26. The first contract let in the London division. 

1836. Mar. 15. The first contract let in the Bristol division. 

1837. July 4. Royal assent to Act for the extension from 

Acton to Paddington. 
Oct. 27. Special general meeting of proprietors, to 
authorise the borrowing of £833,333 in 
addition to capital, and of £1,125,000 in 
anticipation of calls. 

1838. Jan. 10. First trial in running the engines near West 

Drayton. 
June 4. Opening to Maidenhead, 22| miles. 

1839. Jan. 9. The adoption of the broad gauge confirmed by 

proprietors, by a majority of 1,647 votes. 
June 26. Special meeting to create new shares of 
£50, to the amount of £1,250,000. 



108 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

1839. July 1. Opening to Twyford, additional 8| miles ; 

total 30f . 
Nov. Chas. Russell, Esq. elected Chairman in place 
of W. U. Sims, Esq. deceased. 

Miles. Total. 

1840. Mar. 30. Opening to Reading, additional 5 35f 

June 1. to Steventon 20f 56% 

July 20. to FarringdonRoad.. 7| 63f 

Aug. 31. from Bristol to Bath 11 J 75| 

Dec. 17. toWoottonBassettRoad 16| 92 

Aug. 27. Resolution to create new shares of £20 

each, to the amount of £750,000. 

1841. Feb. 25. First dividend declared, at the rate of 3 per 

cent, per annum. The opening of the 

entire line anticipated in June of this 

year. 
May 31. Opening to Chippenham, additional 13J 

miles, total 105 J. 
June 30. Final opening from Chippenham to Bath, 

additional distance 13 miles, total length 

of line from Paddington to Bristol 118 ~ 

miles. 

The Oxford branch of the Great Western Rail- 
way was opened June 12, 1844. It branches out 
of the main line at the Didcot station, about 53 
miles from London, and crosses the Thames twice 
on its route to Oxford, a distance of about 10 miles. 
Its cost in making was upwards of £150,000. 



BRISTOL AND EXETER RAILWAY.— 

That portion of the Bristol and Exeter Railway- 
line extending from Bristol to Bridgwater, a dis- 
tance of thirty-three miles, was opened for the 



MODERN BRISTOL — RAILWAYS. 109 

conveyance of passengers and goods on the 14th of 
June, 1841 ; from Bridgwater to Taunton, July 1st, 
1842; from Taunton to Beam Bridge, May 1st, 
1843 ; and from Beam Bridge to Exeter, May 1st, 
1844. There are eleven stations between the above 
cities, at which the trains stop (special trains ex- 
cepted) to deliver and take in passengers, merchan- 
dize, &c. viz. Nailsea, Clevedon Road at Yatton, 
Banwell, Weston-super-Mare, (to which there is a 
branch line) Highbridge, Bridgwater, Taunton, 
Wellington, Tiverton Road, Collumpton, and Hele 
to Exeter. This line is now continued by the 
South Devon Railway to Plymouth, on the same 
gauge, and on the atmospheric principle. 



BRISTOL AND GLOUCESTER AND 
COAL-PIT HEATH RAILWAY.— This Rail- 
way, which forms the connecting link between the 
north and west of England, was opened July 8, 
1844. Shortly after its opening it was amalgamated 
with the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway, and 
subsequently both were purchased by the Midland 
Railway Company, to pay the shareholders in the 
united Birmingham and Bristol Companies at the 
rate of 6 per cent, per annum. There are six 
stations between Gloucester and Bristol, where the 
trains stop to deliver and take in passengers, goods, 
&c. viz. Yate, Wickwar, Charfield and Wootton- 
under-Edge, Dursley and Berkeley, Frocester and 
Stonehouse to Gloucester. 



110 

€i)uvci)ti, (ffijapete, & otljtv places of UtirineSBorSirip. 



THE CATHEDKAL, 



FORMERLY THE ABBEY OF ST. AUGUSTINE, OR MONASTERY OF BLACK 
REGULAR CANONS OF THE ORDER OF ST. VICTOR. 



The ecclesiastical History of Bristol is highly interesting, but is 
not a little confused through Chattertons inventions. To the 
Berkeley family, it seems, the chief foundations are owing ; 
others of earlier date, to Robert Fitzhamon, Earl of Gloucester. 
The reigning Earls of Gloucester, in the earliest periods, appear 
to have been Lords of Bristol Castle. Now Robert Fitzhamon 
was founder of the Abbey of Tewkesbury, and his inferior en- 
dowments were all subject to that abbey ; that abbey was subject 
to the control of the Bishop of Worcester ; and hence, if these 
circumstances be considered, many seeming discrepances can be 
reconciled. 

The patronage of the livings of Christ Church, St. James, St. John 
Baptist, St Mark, St. Michael, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Philip 
and Jacob, and Temple, was at the disposal of the Corporation 
previously to the passing of the Municipal Corporation Act, the 
provisions of which compelled them to sell it ; consequently the 
presentation to each is now in the hands of different private indi- 
viduals, together with St. Mary-le-Port, formerly in the gift of 
the Duke of Buckingham. Four are in the gift of the Lord 
Chancellor; viz. St. Stephen, St. Thomas, St. Mary Redcliff, 
and St. Werburgh : three in the gift of the Dean and Chapter ; 
viz. St. Augustine, St. Nicholas, and All Saints : and the new 
churches, in the parishes of St. Augustine, Bedminster, Clifton, 
St. James, St. Paul, and St. Philip and Jacob, are in the gift of 
Trustees, and of the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, $c. 

The Cathedral was originally a Monastery, 
dedicated to St. Augustine, one of whose delegates, 
Jordan, in 603, came to Bristol, as a missionary 



THE CATHEDRAL. Ill 

from Rome, and was buried here. " Moreover/' 
says Mr. Seyer, in his Memoirs of Bristol, "I 
undertake to convince the reader, that not Jordan 
only, but Austin himself also preached here, and 
that his celebrated conference with the British 
bishops was holden on our College Green ; and I 
suppose that the monastery afterwards built there 
received its name as a memorial of that transaction* 
And this I say without partiality for him whom we 
call St Augustine, but induced by historical evi- 
dence alone." Again he says, " I know no place, 
the name of which has any relation to this confer- 
ence, except St. Augustine's Green, in Bristol, nor 
any place where a number of bishops from South 
Wales would so conveniently meet as in Bristol. 
And nothing is more probable than that the pious 
founder of the abbey gave it its name in memory 
of St. Augustine ; and that Harding, his father, 
named one of his sons Jordan, in memory of the 
preacher, Augustine's companion." 

Sir Robert Fitzharding, a descendant of the 
King of Denmark, created Earl of Berkeley by 
King Henry II., began the foundation of the 
Abbey of St. Austin, in 1140, and built the church 
and all the offices in six years' time; it was dedicated 
April 11, 1148, the said Sir Robert laying on the 
altar various title-deeds of lands in Gloucestershire. 
His tomb, a little to the east from the door, was 
repaired in 1742; it is enclosed with rails, having 



112 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

two sculptured figures of himself and Eva his wife. 
Here also lies Maurice/ 6 Lord Berkeley, aged 
thirty-seven, who died at Berkeley, 1368, of wounds 
received at the battle of Poictiers. He was 
wounded by a sword that passed through both his 
thighs. It is stated that he remained a year in 
Picardy, at the house of the squire that wounded 
him, before he was well enough to return, and then 
paid six thousand nobles for his ransom. 

In the period between its foundation and disso- 
lution, five and twenty abbots 37 are named in suc- 
cession ; among whom was the good John Newland, 
alias Nailheart, 38 who on account of his great 
abilities, was often employed by King Henry VII. 
in foreign embassies. He beautified this church, 

36 Barrett says it was Lord Thomas, son of Maurice, who was 
wounded at Poictiers. 

37 The last abbot, Morgan Guilliam ap Guilliam, was charged 
with keeping six lewd women. 

38 His arms display a heart pierced with three nails, which 
may be seen over the chancel of St. Augustine's church, to 
which it seems he was a benefactor. This device frequently 
appears among the ornaments of the cathedral; as does also 
the annexed monogram. 





THE CATHEDRAL. 113 



and added many buildings to it ; wrote its history, 
and an account of the family of the Berkeleys, still 
in MS. 39 It is said that the apartments over the 
very beautiful Saxon archway, leading to Lower 
College Green, were erected at his expense, as 
well as one of the sculptured figures on the south 
side, designed to represent himself. An inscription 
on this archway says that King Henry II. and 
Lord Robert Fitzharding were conjointly the 
founders of the Monastery. Their statues and 
arms, and also those of Edward the Confessor and 
Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, appear on 
this archway, the latter two bearing in their hands 
title-deeds, and Lord Berkeley holding a model of 
the building, Pembroke's arms are also embla- 
zoned at the high altar, together with those of 
Lord Berkeley and Henry II. ; and hence it may 
be inferred that there was some religious establish- 
ment, which Edward the Confessor, and an Earl 
of Pembroke had endowed, previous to the splen- 
did erection of Sir R. Fitzharding. 

Chatterton makes Rowley say, "St. Austin's 
Chapel: Thys freemied pyle ytte is uncouthe to 
saie whom the same dyd ybuilde. But it mote 
nedes be eld ; sythence it was yn ruyn in the dayes 
of Wm. le Bartarde; The dribblette remaines wyll 
shewe its auncientrie and nice carvellynge. An 

39 In "Wood's Athense Oxon. vol. i. p. 639, is a long account 
of him. 

I 



114 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

auncient Bochord saieth Gooffrie a Norman car- 
veller dyd newe adorne the same in Edward 
Confessor's daies." To this account Barrett adds, 
" This chapel stood next the fine gate leading to 
the Lower Green." 

The gateway has been considered as the only 
vestige of the original structure ; and from its richly 
ornamented arches, has attracted much notice. The 
chapter-house, however, and part of the cloisters, 
are evidently Saxon, and most likely coeval. There 
is a tradition that the western part was demolished, 
at the dissolution of monasteries, in Henry VIII.'s 
time, and the materials sold and disposed of, be- 
fore that King had determined to convert it into a 
cathedral and a bishop's see. But as there is no 
record to this effect, others have thought it was 
never finished. The builders of churches gene- 
rally began at the altar or east part, which they 
used for religious services, till by degrees they 
could complete the whole. Whether they stopped 
this building after finishing the tower, is doubtful. 
It is said that Edmund Knowles (who was abbot 
twenty-six years) began building the present church 
anew from the ground in 1311, and that it was 
completed in 1363. There is great reason to 
believe that the building was actually finished, and 
extended one hundred feet more to the westward 
than at present. A large stone, at the end of one 
of the garden walls, evidently points out the extent 



THE CATHEDRAL. 115 

of the whole building: and some remains of gothic 
arches beyond the tower still show that the church 
was once continued to the westward. 

King Henry VIII. having created this a bishop's 
see, 40 dedicated it to the Holy and undivided Trinity, 
and annexed the whole of the county of Dorset to 
its jurisdiction, (which was taken out of the see 
of Salisbury) part of Gloucestershire, and three 
churches or chapels, formerly in the see of Wells, 
making in the whole two hundred and fifty-six 
parish churches and chapels. It is, however, one 
of the smallest cathedrals in England; but it has 
a certain singularity in its interior construction, 
which produces a curious and picturesque effect. 
It consists of a neat choir, fitted up in the gothic 
order, with part of the nave and the two side 
aisles, all of equal height. Instead of arcs boutants, 
or flying buttresses, a complicated structure of 
crossing arches occupies the roofs, and supports, 
in their stead, the side walls of the nave. We 
know not of any other instance on this plan. 

The portraits in stained glass represent, Thomas 
Baron Berkeley, ob. 1313 ; Maurice Baron Berke- 
ley, ob. 1368; James Baron Berkeley, ob. 1464. 
In the great east window are the arms of the chief 
nobility who were the partizans of Edward IV. 

40 This see is now joined to Gloucester, under one bishop, 
who is named Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol; but the 
county of Dorset is restored to the see of Salisbury. 



116 CHILCQTT'S BUISTOL GUIDE. 

The first bishop was Paul Bush, of whom 
Anthony a Wood gives an account, vol. i. p. 99, 
Though our limits will not allow giving a regular 
list of the bishops who have filled this see, in 
chronological order, yet we cannot omit to mention 
the names of Seeker, Butler, and Newton, as among 
the most eminent in the republic of letters, who 
have presided over it. Bishop Warburton, author 
of the Divine Legation of Moses, was once dean 
of this cathedral. 

The liberal endowments and revenues of this 
church were very much impaired in the time of 
Queen Elizabeth^ when for thirty-two years to- 
gether it had no bishop; but was all that time 
held in commendam by the Bishops of Gloucester. 
It was esteemed, previously to its being united with 
the see of Gloucester, one of the least valuable 
bishoprics. 

When the bishop's palace was rebuilding, in 
1744, a parcel of plate fell through the floor in the 
corner of one of the rooms, which by this accident 
was found to be decayed, and occasioned the floors 
to be taken up ; and, to the surprise of the work- 
men, an under-ground apartment was disclosed, 
which, from a great many human bones, and instru- 
ments of iron being found there, appears to have 
been used for the punishment of the refractory and 
criminals. At the same time was discovered a 
private passage to this dungeon, originally con- 



THE CATHEDRAL. 117 

strueted with the edifice, being an arched way, 
just large enough for one person to pass at a time, 
made in the thickness of the wall : one end termi- 
nated in the dungeon, and the other in an apart- 
ment of the house, which to all appearance had 
been used as a court ; but both the entrances were 
walled up, and so concealed, that no one could sus- 
pect it to be any other than one solid thick wall. 

In what is called the Elder Lady Chapel, and 
which contains the tomb of Fitzharding, a device 
appears, that has occasioned some comment ; while 
the shepherd sleeps, a wolf is devouring the sheep ; 
— a ram meanwhile is playing a sort of fiddle, 
using a remarkably long bow. Now the invention 
of the fiddlestick is dated whole centuries after the 
time of building our church. 41 

41 This account of the sculptured figures, still to be seen as 
above quoted, has been repeatedly published, with a suggestion 
that some important moral if not religious inference was in- 
tended by the design. Dr. Stukely, however, in his account of 
similar ornaments to be found in the cloisters of Magdalen 
College, Oxford, concludes them to be " whimsical figures, 
which serve to amuse the vulgar, but are only the licentious 
inventions of the mason:" just in the same light these ornaments 
in the Elder Lady Chapel may be regarded. There are several, 
which we will endeavour to particularise: the ram is playing 
his ribble — but the shepherd asleep is nowhere to be seen — in 
his stead an ape is perceived, (assuredly it is an ape) either 
playing upon the syrinx, or else about to drink. In his left 
hand he bears a sort of thyrsus. These jolly companions may 
be conceived to be a satire on the representations of Apollo and 



118 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

The great east window is of stained, and the two 
windows at each end of the side aisles are of 
enamelled glass, on which various pieces of scripture 
history are delineated ; these are said to have been 
presented by the celebrated Ellen Gwynne. 

The ascent to the altar is by steps of black and 
white marble. The organ, which is said to be very 

Bacchus (or Pan.) The animals below are more like a eat with 
a mouse, than a wolf devouring sheep : at all events, they have 
no connection with the figure just mentioned, any more than 
the fox and goose, in the other compartment, have to do with 
the dwarf who is contending with an eagle. In short, they are 
no more than specimens of grotesque, (or arabesque) which is 
plainly evinced in another instance, where a ram or goat has 
got the body of a rabbit or hare, suspended on a stick, thrown 
over his shoulder — the body of the goat terminates in a scroll or 
foliage, as does also the thyrsus of the monkey before alluded 
to. There is another ape's head to be seen in the chapel. 




In one of his letters to Horace Walpole, Chatterton says, 
" Nothing is so much wanted as a history of the violin: Rowley 
proves the use of the bow to be known to the Saxons,, and even 
introduced by them." 



THE CATHEDRAL. 119 

excellent, was built by subscription of the principal 
inhabitants of this city. Indeed, it has been ob- 
served, that there is no other church in England, 
where the music of the organ, and the voices of the 
choristers united, produce so grand and melodious 
an effect; creating in the soul those ecstasies of 
holy delight, which raise it in idea from earth to 
heaven, exulting in the purest adoration of praise 
and thanksgiving to the divine Creator. 

Above the communion table, at the bottom of 
the great east window, are a variety of painted 
arms, with the letters W. B. interspersed, for Wil- 
liam Burton, the abbot, 43 who is said to have built 
the altar-piece. On each side are two large shields 
of arms — King Henry II.'s and Lord Berkeley's 
on the right ; King Henry II.'s and Clare's, Earl 
of Pembroke, on the left. In Several places in the 
choir, are the letters T. W. twisted together in a 
cypher, which some suppose to have been placed 
there in compliment to Cardinal Wolsey^but the 
truth is, they were meant for Thomas Wright, who, 
in 1541, was appointed receiver-general of the 

42 His device is a tun, with a tree springing from the bung hole. 

43 This supposition arose, probably, from the appearance of 
the cypher, having something like the strings and tassels usually 
attached to the hat of a cardinal. Wherever the cypher appears, 
it is accompanied by a remarkable sort of character, monogram, 
or merchant's mark, in which we think may be found H. K. T. W. 
and D. H. ; intended perhaps as a mystic memorial of the joint 
exertions of the above Thomas Wright and his royal master. It 



120 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

chapter, at their first foundation, and had the 
ordering of their officers, and fitting up this church 
for a cathedral; who took care to set up his cypher 
in all parts, as Abbots Newland and Elliott 44 had 
done before him. 

In 1683, George Williamson, B. D. sub-dean, 
presented a brass eagle to the cathedral, which was 
sold in 1802, for the alleged purpose of making an 
addition to the sacramental plate. It was pur- 
chased by William Ady, Esq. and presented by 
him to the church of St. Mary-le-Port. 

In 1712, John Rumsey, Esq. presented to this 
church a pair of large silver candlesticks, very 
high and weighty, which cost him one hundred 
and fourteen pounds. They were taken, in 1790, 
by the Duke and Duchess ships of war, in their 
expedition to the South Seas, at Paita, by the 
famous Captain Woodes Rogers. 

The monuments in this cathedral are very numer- 
ous and interesting, but our limits will only enable 
us to notice a few of the most striking. We will 

is worthy of notice, that in one of the side aisles, King Henry 
VIII.'s arms are placed immediately between these two devices. 




V 

44 The arms of Elliott— in chief two mullets pierced* 




THE CATHEDRAL. 121 

begin with those of Mrs. Draper, near the entrance, 
(said to be the Eliza of Sterne) for the beauty and 
sentiment of its sculpture, executed by Bacon ; 
and of Mary, the wife of the Rev. William Mason, 
(who died at the age of twenty-eight, March 27, 
1767) for its inimitable and affecting inscription. 
The lines were written by the husband of the 
deceased, and are known far and wide ; but as they 
can never be too highly appreciated we repeat 
them : — 

Take, holy earth, all that my soul holds dear ; 

Take that best gift which heav'n so lately gave ; 

To Bristol's fount I bore with trembling care 

Her faded form ; she bow'd to taste the wave, 

And died. Does youth, does beauty read the line ? 

Does sympathetic fear their breasts alarm ? 

Speak, dead Maria ; breathe a strain divine : 

E'en from the grave thou shalt have power to charm. 

Bid them be chaste, be innocent, like thee ; 

Bid them in duty's sphere as meekly move ; 

And, if so fair, from vanity as free, 

As £rm in friendship, and as fond in love — 

Tell them, though 'tis an awful thing to die, 

(Twas e'en to thee) yet the dread path once trod, 

Heav'n lifts its everlasting portals high, 

And bids " the pure in heart behold their God." 

Just within the rails, by the door, on the right 
of the entrance, is a neat marble monument, to the 
memory of the Rev. Samuel Love, on which the 
following epitaph is inscribed, from the pen of the 
late Mrs. Hannah More : — 



122 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Sacred to the Memory 
of the Rev. SAMUEL LOVE, A. M. 

Fellow of Baliol College, Oxford, 

and one of the Minor Canons of this Cathedral, 

who died October 18, 1773, Aged 29. 

When worthless grandeur nils the embellish' d urn, 
No poignant grief attends the sable bier ; 
But when distinguish' d excellence we mourn, 
Deep is the sorrow, genuine is the tear. 

Stranger ! shouldst thou approach this awful shrine, 

The merits of the honour' d dead to seek ; 

The friend, the son, the Christian, the divine, 

Let those who knew him, those who lov'd him, speak. 

Oh ! let them in some pause of anguish say, 
What zeal inspir'd, what faith enlarg'd his breast ; 
How soon the unfetter' d spirit wing'd its way 
From earth to heaven — from blessing to be blest. 

This monument is erected 
by some intimate friends of the deceased, 
as a testimony 
of his worth and of their esteem. 
At the entrance of the south aisle is a small 
chapel built by the sixth Maurice, Lord of Berkeley, 
called the Lady Chapel, to distinguish it from 
the Elder Lady Chapel in the north. In this 
chapel are three ancient tombs; on one is an in- 
scription to the memory of Sir Richard Newton 
and lady, of Barr's Court, in the County of Glou- 
cester, who died December 13th, 1444, and with 
his lady lies interred beneath this monument. 45 

45 This monument was defaced in the civil wars : it was 
repaired by Mrs. Archer, a sister to Sir Michael Newton, of 
Barr's Court, in 1748. 



THE CATHEDRAL. 123 

On another is a record to the memory of Sir Henry 
Newton, of Barr's Court, who died in 1599, and 
over the third tomb are two tablets commemorative 
of Sir John and his lady Grace. 

In the same aisle is also a monument, by Chantry, 
to the memory of Mrs. Elwyn, wife of the late 
W. B. Elwyn, D. C. L. Resignation is por- 
trayed in the person of a beautiful female figure, 
with the following inscription : — 

Mariae uxori Carissimse 

anno setatis Vicesimo Quinto Ereptae, 

Gulielmus Brame Elwyn, D. C. L. 

infelicissimus posuit. 

Ob : Die Martii XVIII. A. D. MDCCCXVIII. 

in Crypta Sti. Michaelis in hac urbe Ecclesise 

Jacet Sepulta. 

On entering the choir, from the southern aisle, 

there is a stone in the pavement with the following 

inscription : — 

H. S. 

Reverendus admodum in Christo Pater 

Josephus Butler, LL. D. 

EEujus qui primo Dioeceseos 

Deinde Dunelmensis Episcopus. 

Qualis quantusq. Vir erat 

Sua libentissime agnovit iEtas ; 

Et siquid Prsesuli aut Scriptori ad famam valent 

Mens altissima ingenii perspicacis et subacti Vis 

Animusq. pius, simplex, candidus, liberalis, 

Mortui haud facile evanescet Memoria. 

Obiit Bathonise, 
XVI. KAL. Jul. A. D. MDCCLII. 



124 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

A few years since the sum of £100 was raised 
by subscription for the purpose of erecting a more 
suitable monument to so distinguished a divine 
and scholar. It is of fine Painswick stone, with 
white marble slabs for the reception of the follow- 
ing inscription, from the pen of Mr. Southey ; — 

Sacred 

to the memory of 

JOSEPH BUTLER, D.C.L. 

twelve years Bishop of this Diocese, 

afterwards of Durham, 

whose mortal remains are here deposited. 

Others had established 

the historical and prophetical grounds 

of the Christian Religion, 

and that sure testimony of truth which is found 

in its perfect adaptation to the heart of man. 

It was reserved for him to develope 

its analogy to the Constitution and Course of Nature ; 

and laying his strong foundations 

in the depth of that great argument, 

there to construct another and irrefragable proof: 

thus rendering Philosophy subservient to Faith, 

and finding in outward and visible things 

the type and evidence of those within the veil. 

Born, A. D. 1692 ; Died, 1752. 

There is a finely-executed monument in the north 
aisle, by our late townsman, E. H. Baily, It. A. A 
female figure, in a devotional posture, is kneeling 
on a marble pedestal ; and on a tablet beneath is 
inscribed, 



THE CATHEDRAL. 125 

Sacred to the memory of 
Harriet Isabella, wife of John Middleton, Esq. of Clifton, 
and daughter of John Venour, Esq. 
of Wellsbourne, in the county of Warwick, 
who died on the 13th day of May, 1826, 
and whose remains 
were interred in the burial ground of this church, 
by the side of her mother. 
She was a woman of artless manners and unaffected piety, 
which were habitual, and supported her in the hour of dis- 
solution. The calmness of her death, as an evidence of the 
sincerity of her religion, animates her surviving friends with 
the consolatory hope that she is numbered among the blessed 
which die in the Lord. 

A neat marble monument has been erected to 
the memory of the Eev. Dr. Gray, the last Bishop 
of this diocese previously to its being annexed to 
the see of Gloucester. It is as follows : — 

In the burial ground adjoining to this Cathedral Church 
lie the remains of 

KOBEUT GRAY, D. D. 

Sometime rector of Bishop Wearmouth, lately a prebendary of 
the Cathedral church of Durham and Bishop of Bristol, 

Who died on the 28^ day of Sept. in the year of our Lord, 1834, 
in the 73rd year of his age and eighth of his consecration. 

Distinguished in the early part of his professional life by 
learning and piety, 

He was afterwards not less remarkable for an able discharge 
of the duties of the episcopal office, 

Combining with diligent attention to the ecclesiastical con- 
cerns and liberal support of the charities of his diocese, 



126 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

A zealous devotion to the general interests of the Established 

Church. 
This monument has been erected to his memory by the clergy 

and laity of this city and neighbourhood, 

In testimony of the affection of his person, respect for his 

principles, and admiration of his firmness and fortitude. 

In the cloisters lie the remains of that excellent 
native artist and royal academician, Bird. 

A remarkably fine bust of Eobert Southey, the 
poet, by E. H. Bailey, R. A., has been recently 
placed in one of the ancient monumental recesses 
in the north aisle, nearly opposite the back of the 
choir pulpit. It is raised upon an octangular 
pedestal of grey marble, with gothic panelling, 
and a boldly-moulded base and surbase. The 
bust is of beautiful white marble, and the shoulders 
are gracefully covered with broad-folded drapery. 
The inscription on the dado of the pedestal is, 

33om in ^Bristol 
October IF., JOT&OTXXEF, 

BtetJ at lUstotcii 
JStarcf> XXS, JSnB&CMXICIlElL 

A singular story is told of a robin, which for 
fifteen years inhabited this cathedral, and received 
its subsistence from the hand of the verger. During 
the time of divine service, it usually perched on one 
of the mitres of the organ, and accompanied the 
solemnity with offering up its harmonious praise. 

The following beautiful lines on this little do- 



THE CATHEDRAL. 127 

mestic songster were composed by the Rev. S. 
Love, whose epitaph, &c. we have noticed : — 

Sweet social bird ! whose soft harmonious lays 
Swell the glad song of thy Creator's praise, 
Say, art thou conscious of approaching ills ? 
Fell winter's storms — the pointed blast that kills ? 
Shunn'st thou the savage north's unpitying breath ? 
Or cruel man's more latent snares of death ? 
Here dwell secure; here with incessant note, 
Pour the soft music of thy trembling throat. 
Here, gentle bird, a sure asylum find, 
Nor dread the chilling frost, nor boist'rous wind. 
No hostile tyrant of the feather' cl race 
Shall dare invade thee in this hallow'd place ; 
Nor, while he sails the liquid air along, 
Check the shrill numbers of thy cheerful song. 
No cautious gunner, whose unerring sight 
Stops the swift eagle in his rapid flight, 
Shall here disturb my lovely songster's rest, 
f Nor wound the plumage of his crimson breast. 
The truant school-boy, who in wanton play, 
With viscid lime involves the treach'rous spray, 
In vain shall spread the wily snare for thee, 
Alike secure thy life and liberty. 
Peace, then, sweet warbler, to thy flutt'ring heart, 
Defy the rage of hawks, and foils of art ; 
Now shake thy downy plumes, now gladlier pay 
Thy grateful tribute to each rising day ; 
While crowds below their willing voices raise, 
To sing with holy zeal Jehovabus praise ; 
Thou, perch'd on high, shalt hear th' adoring throng, 
Catch the warm strains, and aid the sacred song, 
Increase the solemn chorus, and inspire 
Each tongue with music, and each heart with fire. 



128 
ST. MARY KEDCLIFF. 46 



" Next Radcleve Chyrche, oh worke of hand of heaven ! 
Where Canynges sheweth as an instrument, 
Was to mie besmarde 47 eyn syght newlie given ; 

Tis past to blazon ytt to good contente ; 
Ye that would fayne the fetyve48 buyldyng see, 
Repayre to Radcleve and contented be."— Rowley. 

This church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, 
and is built on a red sandy rock or clift, — from 
which it derives its name — with stone dug at 
Dundry, about four miles and a half from Bristol. 
It is allowed to be the finest parish church in Eng- 
land ; and is, as Chatterton calls it, " The pryde of 
Bristowe and the Westerne Londe." To this 
stately edifice there are three principal entrances 
by a flight of steps of Purbeck stone, viz., a north, 

46 Both St. Mary Eedcliif and St. Thomas churches were 
originally chapels to Bedminster, and now, together with Ab- 
bots' Leigh, form but one vicarage. Mr. Britton, the architectural 
antiquarian, says, "The ecclesiastical history of Redcliff may 
be considered peculiar, if not truly singular. It constitutes part 
of the parish of Bedminster ; it is in the diocese of Bristol, and 
is a prebend to the cathedral of Salisbury. This prebend com- 
prehends Bedcliif, with the parishes of Bedminster, Abbots' 
Leigh, and St. Thomas ; yet the parochial regulations are held 
distinct. The living of Bedminster is both a rectory and a 
vicarage ; and as prebend, the incumbent is patron of all the 
other livings. He is nominated by the Bishop of Salisbury. 
Previous to the year 1247, Bedcliif and the Temple-fee were 
vested in the Knights Templars.' ' 

47 Curious. 48 Beautiful. 




\ 



> 




'**- 



\ 






ST. MARY REDCLIFF 121) 

west, and south door. The tower, which is richly 
ornamented by a variety of carved work, is nearly 
two hundred feet in height, has a noble peal of ten 
bells, and formerly contained a lofty steeple. On 
viewing the outside of this church, its appearance 
is majestic and venerable ; and on entering it, its 
lofty vaulted roof, which is all of stone, and every 
where carved with devices and ornaments of curious 
workmanship — its long middle aisle, terminated by 
the chancel and the altar — its noble pillars, which 
are inimitably wrought into the most delicate 
mouldings — and indeed, the exquisite beauty and 
lightness of the whole fabric, excite feelings of ad- 
miration and delight, and instinctively, as it were, 
awe the mind into a devotional feeling. 

There are four palpable varieties of Christian 
architecture in Redcliff church, manifesting as 
many architects, and as many different times when 
they were respectively designed and erected. The 
inner north porch, or vestibule, — the tower and 
spire, — the outer north porch, — the body of the 
church, with the lady chapel, and the south porch, 
— we feel assured were built successively ; and it 
is generally admitted, that an older church was 
removed to give place to the present nave and 
chancel, with their aisles, and the transept. The 
oldest of these members, L e> the vestibule, is of a 
date between a. d. 1200 an 1230. "In 1207, 
Lord Eobert de Berkeley granted to EeclclifTe 

K 



130 CHILCOTT's BRISTOL GUIDE. 

church, at the request of William, the chaplain, 
his fountain of water from Huge Well, for the 
friars of St. John the Baptist in Redcliffe." Lands 
were conferred on the same church, about that 
time, plainly shewing that there was one then in 
the parish. The tower and spire we may safely 
refer to the reign of Edward I., as corresponding 
with known specimens of that age. According to 
the chronicles of Bristol, Simon de Burton, who 
was mayor in 1293, " began to build the church of 
St. Mary de Redcliffe, when John Lamyngton was 
chaplain :" (Evans's Chronological Outline). Seyer, 
in his " Memoirs of Bristol," (vol. II. p. 77) from 
MS. calendar, more cautious and particular, says, 
" It was about the year 1293 or 1294, that Simon 
de Bourton, a person of wealth and consequence, 
who was mayor of Bristol in that year, and bore 
the same office six times, built the church of St. 
Mary B-edcliffe, where the eastern end now is." 
Here we find it positively stated by one writer , 
that the church was built, and by another that it 
was begun, at the above date. Britton says, " it is 
quite clear that no part of the present church is so 
early as 1294. That the greater portion of it is to 
be ascribed to Wm. Canynge, Junr., may be safely 
inferred by the testimony of written documents, 
and the architectural features of the building; 
and that the Staffords, Berkeleys, Beauchamps, 
Montacutes, and others, contributed towards the 



ST. MARY KEDCL1FF. 131 

building there can be no doubt, from their armorial 
bearings and devices being placed on many of the 
bosses of the ceiling." 

Barrett (p. 570) says the church was probably 
not finished before the year 1396, which is more 
than a century after it was commenced by Burton. 
This conclusion of Barrett arose, perhaps, from the 
difficulty of making rapid progress in great under- 
takings at so early an era, as well from the want of 
money and efficient workmen, as from the many 
difficulties arising from the elaborate and ornamental 
nature of the Gothic workmanship employed in this 
church. But the principal reason for believing that 
the building was not finished till the above date is, 
that several wills, dated about the year 1380, state 
that money was left " for the fabric, and towards 
repairing the church of Redcliff;" and among 
others, the will of John Muleward contains a gift 
in money " ad opus Beatce Maria de Radcleve" 
which Barrett justly regards as a proof that the 
work was going on at that time. 

Wyrcester bestowed upon the examination of 
this singularly fine church, more of his care and 
time than upon any of the rest ; and his mensura- 
tion will be found to be more generally corres- 
pondent with the modern. The following very 
minute and mason-like account was probably com- 
municated by Norton, the master-mason, who is 
mentioned as having been consulted by our author. 



132 CHILCOTT's BRISTOL GUIDE. 

" The tower of Redclyff contains a diameter of 
23 by 24 feet. Its height is 120 feet, and with the 
spire, as it now remains broken by a storm, is 200 
feet high. The diameter, at the top of the fracture, 
is 16 feet, and it has eight panes or sides. Every 
stone at the beginning of the spire is two feet thick, 
but at the top of the fracture only four inches. The 
diameter of the c garlonde' [the parapet round the 
summit] where the cross is placed, is eleven feet. 
Thickness of the walls at the foundation is seven 
feet, and five at the top of the tower. 

" The dimension or proportion most artificially 
wrought in freemason work of the western porch 
of Redclive church. Width seven feet, height nine 
feet. The square in the dome. ' The west dore 
fretted yn the hede with great gentise and smale, 
and fytted with entayle, with a double moolde, 
costly don and wrought.' 

" These four proportions in both. A champ 
ashlar [a water-table] of ashlar-work; a cors, wyth 
an arch buttant [a flying-arch] ; a botterasse. A 
body boterasse [a buttress against a wall], and a 
corner botterass." 

He likewise measured the interior, with Norton, 
the master-mason. 

" The whole length of the church of St. Mary 
Redclive is 63 yards, exclusive of Our Lady's 
chapel. The breadth is 18 yards; total 231 feet. 
The said chapel 13 yards, one foot and a half by 
21 feet. 



ST. MARY KEDCLIFF. 133 

" The length of the first gate or north porch is 
seven yards, and the chapel continued from the 
gate of entrance, is six yards more. 

"The height of the arched and fretted vault 
(voltse frettse archuatse) of the nave and aisles, and 
likewise the aisles of the transept from north to 
south, is 80 steps from the ground, from informa- 
tion given me by the plumber, on the 7th of Sept. 
1480, each step containing eight inches at least. 
The length of the transept 67 paces. The aisles 
are 26 paces. The chapel of the north porch con- 
tains in circumference 44 yards, and is ornamented 
with the statues of the kings, (cum ymaginibus 
regum operatis subtiliter in opere de freestone.) 

" Between each pillar and arch there is a space 
of 10 feet. The transept has eight arches : every 
window in the 6 ovyr-storye' has five glazed divi- 
sions, and is 10 feet wide ; and those in each aisle 
have three. There were six bells in the tower, 
the largest of which weighed 70241b. avoirdupois, 
and the smallest 13001b. weight. 

" The ( sevaree' [square space] between every 
two windows opposite of the nave, is 22 ft. by 16." 

In the years 1445-6, about St. Paul's tide, 100 
feet of the steeple were thrown down during a 
violent storm of thunder and lightning, and falling 
upon the body of the church, it became almost a 
ruin. To the " everlasting prayse" of that worship- 
ful man William Canynge, who undertook to repair, 



134 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

enlarge, and beautify the edifice, founded by his 
ancestors, we behold this fine church nearly all 
complete. The steeple was not rebuilt ; — a fortu- 
nate circumstance, perhaps, since the lightning, but 
a few years since, dislodged some large stones from 
the top of the tower. 

The organ, erected in a stone gallery at the west 
end of the middle aisle, measures in height, from 
the ground to the top of the middle pinnacle, fifty- 
three feet, contains upwards of one thousand speak- 
ing pipes, and is for compass and richness of tone 
rarely equalled. A beautiful gothic screen to the 
front of the gallery, corresponding in architectural 
character to the whole building, was erected in 
1841, chiefly by the spirited exertions of Mr. W. 
Ringer, one of the then churchwardens. 

Sir ¥m. Penn. 49 — Over his monument were 
three long streamers and a suit of armour, which 
was worn by Admiral Sir William Penn, of Bristol, 
father of "William Penn the Quaker, the founder 

49 In September, 1845, the remains of "William, the great 
grandson of Sir William Penn, was removed from London and 
interred in the same vault with his relative, according to his 
own direction. To accomplish this it was necessary to raise 
the effigies of Sir William, when it was discovered that the 
lid of the coffin was loose, and the body was consequently 
exposed to view, but the face was so decomposed that no 
feature could be traced. The corpse appeared to be about 5 feet 
8 inches in length, and was that of a stout person. Sir William 
was buried in the year 1670, at the age of 49. 



ST. MARY REDCLIFF. 



135 



of Pennsylvania, in the United States of North 
America. 

In the cross aisle is a large brazen eagle, formerly 
used as a reading desk: the gift of Mr. James 
Wathen, of this parish, pin maker. 

The altar is decorated with a picture by Tres- 
ham, presented by Sir Clifton Wintringham, Bart, 
in 1792 ; the subject is Jesus raising the daughter 
of Jairus to life, beside three others by Hogarth. 

The floor of the chancel is laid with black and 
white marble, and the altar is approached by steps 
of the same material. The altar and chancel were 
repaired in 1757. 

The church was newly pewed and beautified by 
brief, in 1709. It was again repaired, and the pin- 
nacles on the south side rebuilt in 1796. Seep. 147. 

In one of the windows of the north transept are 
some fragments of ancient stained glass, which ap- 
pear coeval with the church. On one piece six 
women in a boat are represented, possibly alluding 
to a particular event connected with the church. 
There are also some diagrams, arms, and letters, 
which probably mark certain benefactors who con- 
tributed towards finishing the fabric. Figures of 
the virgin and child, with crowns on their heads, 
are comparatively perfect. 

In the same transept is the baptismal font now 
in use. It is of white marble, beautifully con- 
structed, wrought, and polished : the floor on which 



136 CHILCQTX'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

it is placed is elevated, paved also with marble, 
and enclosed with mahogany rails. The font was 
purchased in 1755 for £171. 

The gothic architecture of the northern porch has 
been much admired. It contains some little pillars 
of stone called Dumb Organs, which when struck 
have some resemblance in sound to that instrument. 

There is a large bone preserved at the west end 
of the church, which is said to have been a rib of 
the dun cow, slain by Guy, Earl of Warwick ! ! 

The mayor and corporation go in procession to 
this church on Whit-Sunday; on which day it was 
the ancient custom to strew the pavement in the 
sacred edifice with rushes. 

This vicarage is connected with Abbots' Leigh, 
Bedminster, and St. Thomas ; and is in the gift of 
the Dean and Chapter of Salisbury, of which 
cathedral the present incumbent is a prebendary. 

The revenues of this church were much wasted 
during the commonwealth: not only the church 
estates, but the structure itself did not escape the 
ravage ; the populace tore down many of its orna- 
ments, and all the lofty pinnacles round the church 
which were curiously carved, and added much to 
its external beauty — while on the inside they stole 
the brass plates from the monuments, broke down 
the fine organ, and getting together the prayer- 
books and homilies, and even the bibles, cushions, 
cassocks, &c. they made a bonfire of them, as the 



ST. MARY 11EDCL1FF. 137 

funeral pile of the church ; and parading with 
streamers made of the surplices cut into flags, and 
tooting upon the organ pipes, they marched in 
triumph through the streets. 

It has been said, that during the civil wars the 
church was garrisoned, and had a battery of cannon 
placed upon its walls. 

At the southern extremity of the transept are 
some monuments of peculiar interest ; of which the 
first is a plain altar-tomb, supporting the recumbent 
figure of a priest in sacerdotal robes, with a large 
scrip, or pocket, attached to the left side. An 
angel is placed at his head, and a dog, with a large 
bone in his paws, at his feet. There is no inscrip- 
tion upon it, to mark decidedly the person to whose 
memory this monument has been erected. Mr. 
Cole states it to be a third tomb of ¥m. Canynge; 
tradition, however, assigns it to his purse-bearer 
or treasurer. 

Under a large canopy, beneath the centre win- 
dow, is an altar-tomb of stone, supporting the re- 
cumbent effigies of William Canynge, 50 and Joan 



io h y[ r Lort mentioned, that calling on the Bishop of Nor- 
wich, and talking with his lordship on the great qualification of 
Mr. Canynges, his merits to the town of Bristol, and the kingdom 
in general — the Bishop made answer, that if he had not pre- 
vented it, the inhabitants of that grateful parish had thrown out 
the monument of its so worthy benefactor ! ! ! " — Gentleman's 
Magazine, August, 1806." 



138 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

his wife. The first is dressed in mayor's robes, 
and the second according to the fashion of the 
times. The inscription on the back of this tomb 
is as follows :• — 

Mr. William Cannings ye Richest 
Marchant of ye town of Bristow 
Afterwards chosen 5 times Mayor of 
ye said town : for ye good of ye Comon 
Wealth of ye same : He was in order 
Of Priesthood 7 years : & afterwards 
Dean of Westbury, & died ye 7th of 
Novem. 1474 which said William 
did build within ye said towne of 
Westbury a Colledge (with his 
Cannons) & the said William did main- 
tain by space of 8 years, 800 
handy crafts men, besides carpen- 
ters and Masons, every day 100 Men 
Besides King Edward the 4th had of ye 
said William 3000 Marks 51 for his peace 
To be had in 2470 tons of Shiping 
these are ye names of his Shiping with 

their burdens 



onnes. tonnes. 

400 yeMaryBatt 220 

500 ye Little Nicholas 140 

900 ye Margaret 200 

150 ye Catherine Boston . . 22 

140 A Ship in Ireland 100 

51 The case was this, King Edward IV. having his necessities 
amply supplied by Mr. Canynge, granted him. in lieu thereof 
two thousand four hundred and seventy tons of shipping, free 
of all impost, as appears by the original instrument, now in 
the exchequer. 



ye Mary Canynges 
ye Mary RedclhT . . 
ye Mary and John 

ye Galliot 

ye Katherine 



ST. MARY REDCLIFF. 



139 



No age nor time can wear out well-woon fame 

the Stones themselves a stately work doth shew 

from fenceless graue we ground may men's good name 

And noble minds by ventrous deeds we know 

A Lanterne cleer sets forth a candle light 

A worthy act declares a worthy wight 

the buildings rare that here you may behold 

to shrine his Bones deserves a tomb of gold 

the famous Fabricke that he here hath donne 

Shines in its sphere as glorious as the Sonne. 

What needs more words, ye future World he sought 

And set ye pompe and pride of this at nought 

heaven was his aim, let heaven be still his station 

that leaves such work for others imitation. 

In this monument, which is painted throughout, 
Maistre Canynges is represented in his magisterial 
robes. There is also another monument to his 
memory, of white marble, where he is attired in 
the priestly habit as Dean of Westbury. 

Of Maistre Canynges, Rowley tells us the follow- 
ing amiable anecdote : — King Henry VI. offered 
Maistre Canynges the right of coining, which he 
refused; whereupon Galfridus Ocamlus, who was 
with Maystre Canynges and myself, said, " Naie, 
bie St. Paul's Crosse, hadde I such an offre I would 
coyne lead, and make ne law hyndrynge hinds 
taking it." " No doubt," said Maystre Canynges, 
" but youd dispende heaven to gette goulde, but I 
dispende gould to gette heaven." 

Not far from the monument of Mr. Canynge is 
the following inscription, in old characters, on a flat 



140 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

stone :— " Hie jacet Gulielmus Coke in servitiis 
Willielmi Canynge cujus animae propitietur Deus." 
A large knife and skimmer are engraved on this 
stone; by which it would appear that he was 
Canynge's cook. 

There is another monument near the above : — 
" Hie jacet Johannes Blecker, pandoxator, cujus 
animae propitietur Deus." This was probably 
another servant, the brewer to Canynge. 

Attached to a column, in the south transept, is 
a small marble tablet, commemorative of Maria, 
wife of W. Barrett, F.S.A., Surgeon, and author 
of the History and Antiquities of Bristol. 

Sir Joan Inyn Miles, 1439. — In St. Mary's 
Chapel, on a flat stone, is the figure of a man, in 
Judge's robes, engraved on a brass plate; the folds, 
which appear turned up, are done in a different 
metal, to represent the lining of the vestments. 
On the margin is inscribed — 

" Hie jacet Johannes Inyn Miles capitalis justiciarius 
Domini regis ad placita coram ipso rege tenenda, qui obiit 
xxiiii die Marcii, Anno Domini Millesimo cccc.xxxix. 
cujus animae propitietur Deus. Amen." 

Under the figure are these lines : — 

Juste Deus paciens judex miserere Johannis 
Inyn qui jus faciens Miles fuit ejus in annis : 
Urbe recordator fuit hac Baro scac'oque 
Summus, et in banco judex capitalis utroque 



ST. MARY REDCLIFF. 141 

Justitiam valuit connexam cu~ pietate, 
Militiam coluit subnixam nobilitate : 
Juste J~hx fortis Miles jam propitiatus 
Esto, fores mortis sibi claudae remitte reatus. 

Underneath are his arms. 

In the north transept is a handsome mural mar- 
ble monument, erected in 1835, by subscription, 
with the following inscription : — 

Sacred 

To the Memory of 

NATHANIEL BRIDGES, D. D. 

Vicar of Willoughby and Hatton, [Warwickshire] 

and for 28 years 

Lecturer of this Parish. 

He died the 17th July, 1834, 

aged 86 years. 

In him were combined 

Those inestimable qualities 

which 

Render social intercourse delightful 

and make public ministrations a blessing. 

Gospel simplicity, deep uniform piety, 

unremitting zeal 
for the spiritual interests of the people, 

and unbounded benevolence, 
were his distinguishing characteristics. 

Firmly attached 

to the established Church of England, 

he yet rose superior to party prejudices, 

and loved all who loved his Master. 

In him 

The church of Christ 

Has lost a faithful, laborious, 

and successful minister 



142 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Marble will moulder, monuments decay, 
Time sweeps memorials from the earth away ; 
But lasting records are of Bridges given, 
The date eternity, the archives heaven, 
There living tablets, with his worth engraved, 
Stand forth for ever in the souls he saved. 

Against a pillar to the right of the organ loft, 
and facing the south door, on a marble tablet, is 
the following inscription : — 

To the Memory of 
SIR FRANCIS FREELING, BARONET, 

who was born in this parish, August 25th, 1764, 

and who diedatBryanston Square, in the county of Middlesex, 

on the 10th of July, 1836. 

For more than half a century 

his life was devoted to the public service, 

in the 

GENERAL POST OFFICE, 

in which, for thirty-eight years, he discharged the arduous 

duties of Secretary. 

By unwearied industry 

in the employment of great talents, 

and by unblemished integrity, grounded upon 

Christian principles ; 

he acquired and retained the favour of 

three successive sovereigns, 

and the approbation of the public. 

He has left a name 

which will be remembered with honour, 

in his birth place, 

and which is cherished with affection and veneration 

by his children, 

who have raised this monument. 



ST. MARY REDCLIFF. l4o 

There is a small marble slab at the north-east 
angle of the transept, on which is inscribed the 
following lines from the pen of Mrs. H. More, to 
the memory of Mrs. Fortune Little, late of this 
parish, who died June 28, 1777, aged 57 : — 

Oh ! could this verse her bright example spread, 
And teach the living while it praised the dead : 
Then, reader, should it speak her hope divine ; 
Not to record her faith, but strengthen thine ; 
Then should her every virtue stand confess' d, 
'Till every virtue kindled in thy breast : 
But, if thou slight the monitory strain, 
And she has liv'd to thee at least in vain, 
Yet let her death an awful lesson give ! 
The dying Christian speaks to all that live ; 
Enough for her, that here her ashes rest, 
'Till God's own plaudit shall her worth attest. 

The lovers of the sublime and beautiful in art, 
and the connoisseurs in ecclesiastical architecture, 
have now an opportunity of visiting this splendid 
old edifice free of any charge whatever, as it has been 
thrown open to the public by order of the vicar 
and churchwardens ; and it will give those visitors, 
who with a feeling of sorrow witness the breaches 
which time has made here, an opportunity of 
voluntarily contributing, according to their means, 
to its repairs. 

Some very ancient grave stones and monumental 
brasses have been discovered in the churchyard, in 
the course of lowering the ground round the church. 



144 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

The Chatterton memorial, lately erected by sub- 
scription, and placed in the enclosed spot at the 
north-west angle of the churchyard, between the 
tower and the north porch, was removed in the 
beginning of the year 1846, for the purpose of 
levelling the ground ; and at present no place has 
been chosen for its re-erection. 

To those who are unread in the Rowleyan 
controversy, the following brief account of the 
discovery of the MSS. cannot fail to be acceptable. 
Over the north porch there is a kind of muniment 
room, in which were deposited six or seven chests ; 
one of which, in particular, was called Mr. Canynges' 
cofre, and about the year 1727, a notion prevailed 
that some title-deeds and other writings of value 
were contained in it. An order of vestry was in 
consequence made, that the chest should be opened, 
under the inspection of an attorney; and that those 
writings which appeared to be of value should be 
removed to the south porch of the church. The 
locks were therefore forced, and not only the prin- 
cipal chest, but the others also, which were supposed 
to contain writings, were all broken open. The 
deeds immediately relating to the church were re- 
moved, and the other manuscripts were left exposed 
as of no value. Considerable depredations had 
been committed upon them by different persons , 
but the most insatiate of these plunderers was the 
father of Chatterton, who though a schoolmaster, 



ST. MARY REDCLIFF. 145 

nevertheless was ignorant of their value or of their 
contents. The sexton of St. Mary Reclcliff, being 
a relative, gave him free access to the church, 
whence he carried off, from time to time, parcels 
of the parchments : and one time alone, with the 
assistance of his boys, is known to have filled a 
large basket with them. They were deposited in 
a cupboard in the school, and employed for differ- 
ent purposes, such as the covering of copy books, 
&c. At his death, the widow, (then pregnant with 
our unfortunate poet) being under the necessity of 
removing, carried the remainder of them to her 
new habitation. Some years elapsed : young Chat- 
terton was put to school, but returned to his mother 
" as a dull hoy, incapable of improvement" He 
afterwards gained admission into Colston's Charity 
School ; on leaving school he was articled to Mr, 
Lambert, an attorney. About this time, whilst on 
a visit to his mother, one of these parchments, 
which had been converted into a thread paper, 
caught his eye ; and his attention being arrested 
with the appearance of the characters, he began to 
question his mother what those thread papers were; 
how she got them, and whence they came. Upon 
further inquiry, he was led to a full discovery of 
all the parchments which remained; the bulk of 
them consisted of poetical and pother compositions, 
by Mr. Canynges, and a particular friend of his, 
Thomas Rowley, whom Chatterton at first called 



146 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

a monk, and afterwards a secular priest of the 
fifteenth century. Such at least appears to be the 
account which Chatterton thought proper to give, 
and which he wished to be believed. It is, indeed, 
confirmed by the testimony of his mother and 
sister: they say that he was perpetually ransacking 
every corner of the house for more parchments, 
and carried away those he had already found by 
pockets full : that one day happening to see Clarke's 
History of the Bible covered with one of these 
parchments, he was very angry, and stripping the 
book, put the cover into his pocket and carried it 
away ; at the same time stripping a common little 
bible, but finding no writing upon the cover, he 
replaced it again very leisurely. Perrot, the old 
sexton, who succeeded Chatterton's great uncle, 
accompanied Mr. Shiercliff, a miniature-painter 
of Bristol, in 1749, through Eedclrff Church, 
showed him in the north porch a number of parch- 
ments, some loose and some tied up, and intimated 
" that there were things there which would one 
day be better known, and that in proper hands 
they might prove a treasure." 

The city authorities have lately removed all the 
old houses by which the view of this beautiful edi- 
fice to the north and north-east was completely 
obscured, and enclosed the ground belonging to 
the church with iron rails. They have also caused 
the dangerous hill to be levelled, and built a new 



ST. MARY REDCLIFF. 147 

street (Phippen Street), connecting RedclifF with. 
Thomas Street. Meanwhile the parish authorities 
have not been idle ; they have issued a very spirited 
appeal, drawn up by Messrs. Britton and Hosking, 
for the complete restoration of the tower and church 
to their pristine architectural elegance. To ac- 
complish this upwards of £40,000 will be necessary. 
This appeal has produced a subscription list of 
nearly £7,000, and the Committee of Eestoration 
have proceeded in their undertaking — by lowering 
the ground round the church to the depth of from 
two to four feet ; which being accomplished, the 
ceremony, which was a very imposing one, of 
laying the foundation stone of the restoration in 
the eastern part of this venerable structure, took 
place on Tuesday, April 21, 1846. 

The inscription on the stone reads thus : — 

THIS STONE 

IN 

Restoration 

OF ST. MARY REDCLIFF CHURCH, 

was laid on the 21st day of April, A. D. 1846, by the 

RIGHT WORSHIPFUL JOHN KERLE HABERFIELD, Esquire, 

THREF. TIMES MAYOR OF BRISTOL, ASSISTED BY THE 

ANCIENT SOCIETY OF FREE MASONS, 

The Right Worshipful Henry Shute, Esq., Provincial Grand Master, 
The Right Worshipful William Done Bushell, Esq., Deputy 

Provincial Grand Master, 
In the presence of the Clergy, Corporation, and Citizens of Bristol. 
Martin Richard Whish, A. M., Vicar. 
Thomas Proctor, Chairman of the Restoration Committee. 

John Warry, Junr.,) Churchwardens , 
John Hare, > 

John Br.tton, F^A > Archi(ecbi 
Geoege Godwin, F. R. S., > 



148 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

ALL SAINTS, 

OTHERWISE ALL-HALLOWS, 

Stands nearly opposite the Council House. Of 
the great antiquity of the original building there 
can be no doubt, since it is on record that in 1066 
Hardinge, who was then governor of Bristol, re- 
moved the Kalendaries 53 from Christ Church to 
All Saints, where they kept their records for ages. 

53 A guild or fraternity, calling themselves Kalendaries, re- 
markable, first, for being the only society of the name on record ; 
and, secondly, as a coalition of the clergy and laity, whose ob- 
ject was to record events and preserve the necessary documents, 
existed here, some say before the year 700 ! ! They met the first 
Monday in every month, but their labours, alas ! are lost to 
society by reason of a most unfortunate fire in 1466, which de- 
stroyed a valuable library, and other documents they had from 
time to time collected, "through the carelessness of a drunken 
point maker :" but Robert Ricaut, a kalendary and town clerk 
here (18th K. Edw. IV.) did " devise, ordain, and make for a 
remembratif ever hereafter," by command of the then mayor, 
(Spencer) " the Maire of Bristowe is register, orellis the Maire is 
kalendar" which is now carefully preserved in the town clerk's 
office. It is a thick folio, in good preservation, well written, 
partly on vellum and partly on paper, ornamented with rude 
portraits of the kings, and several other paintings of the same 
kind. About the beginning of Henry VII.' s reign the hand- 
writing changes, and the chronicle is continued by different 
persons nearly to the present time. Beside the calendar, it 
contains the form of choosing the mayor, &c. with the ceremo- 
nies and oaths used on that occasion, which is the most valuable 
part of the book, and a very curious painting representing the 
ceTemony. Several other chronicles, containing many local 



ALL SAINTS. 



149 



In equal obscurity as to date is the erection of 
the present structure; but most probably it was 
immediately after the fire in 1466, which destroyed 
the library and the greatest portion of the old 
church. The present church was repewedin 1757. 
The tower, which is remarkable for the cupola, 
ball, and cross, that surmount it, was begun in 
1716, and finished in 1721, at a cost of £589, 
raised by voluntary subscription. 

The church of All Saints was early appropriated 
to the monastery of St. Augustine, and continued 
under its patronage till the Reformation, at which 
time the Dean and Chapter became its patrons, and 
have continued so ever since. It is divided into 
three aisles. The compartments of the pulpit are 
most elaborately carved with a crown, angels' 
heads, trumpets, &c. 

Previously to the dissolution, this church con- 
tained several altars, which were particularly rich 
in their crucifixes, both of gold and silver, adorned 
with rubies and other precious stones. Rich vest- 
ments also of velvet, silk, gold and silver fringes, 



events, mixed up with general records, are to be found in 
Bristol, in private hands ; these have been well examined, and 
heir contents published. — See "The Calendars of Al-Hal- 
lowen, [Ail Saints] Bristowe. An Attempt to elucidate some 
Portions of the History of the Priory, or Fraternitie of Calendars, 
&c, by the Rev. Henry Rogers, M. A., Vicar of that church," 
just published. 



150 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

mass books, curtains, and other relics of great value, 
belonged to this church. Upwards of 423 ounces 
of plate, consisting of crosses, censers, chalices, 
patens, bells, &c. were taken from it at the general 
pillage of religious houses, in 1549, and removed 
to the mint, where it was coined into money. 

The altar piece, " The Salutation of the Virgin, 55 
was painted by Simmons. 

The monuments here are numerous and interest- 
ing : but our space will only allow us to copy that 
to the memory of Edward Colston, Esq. by Eys- 
brach. The inscription enumerates his public 
charities — to mention which may well exclude all 
further panegyric. 

1691 An Almshouse on St. Michael's Hill, for twelve 

Men and twelve Women £8500 

Six Sailors to be maintained in the Merchants' 

Almshouse, King Street 600 

1696 A School for forty Boys, in Temple Street 3000 

1702 Rebuilding Boys' Hospital, in College Green .... 500 

For adding six Boys thereto . . 1500 

And to the Mint Workhouse 400 

1708 A Hospital for a Master, two Ushers, a Catechist, 

and one hundred Boys, on St. Augustine's Back 40,000 

For the Apprenticing of Boys 1200 

To several Charity Schools £10 each, per annum, when 
living, and for twelve years after his death. 

To repairing of different Churches in Bristol 1230 

For reading prayers at All Saints every Monday and 

Tuesday Morning 140 

For twelve Sermons at Newgate 120 

For fourteen Sermons in Lent 400 



ALL SAINTS. 151 

IX LONDON. 

To St. Bartholomew's Hospital £2500 

To Christ Church Hospital 2000 

To St. Thomas's Hospital 500 

To Bethlehem Hospital 500 

To the New Workhouse, without Bishopsgate 200 

To the Society for propagating the Gospel 300 

To the Company of Mercers 100 

IN SURREY. 

At Sheen. — An Almshouse for six poor Men built and 

endowed. 
At Mortlake. — Clothing and educating twelve Boys and 

twelve Girls 900 

To eighty-five poor people at his death 85 

IN LANCASHIRE. 

Towards Building a Church in Manchester 20 

To eighteen Charity Schools in several parts of England, 

for many years after his death, £90 per annum. 
To the augmentation of sixty small livings 6000 

Besides the above legacies, he left more than 
£100,000 to be divided among his relations. He 
died at Mortlake, in Surrey, October 11, 1721, 
aged 85 years ; from whence his remains were re- 
moved, and interred in this church. 

Mr. Colston was a most successful merchant : 
he never insured a ship, and never lost one. His 
crest was a dolphin, which tradition says he as- 
sumed, from the circumstance of a fish of that 
species having providentially stopped a leak in one 
of his ships at sea, by getting into the aperture. 

Whilst the churchwardens were lowering the 



152 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

high mahogany-topped pews, and effecting other 
alterations in this church, September, 1843, the 
remains of that philanthropic and charitable man, 
Edward Colston, Esq. were found deposited in 
the family vault, in the south aisle. The face was 
covered with a sheet, quite strong and perfect ; on 
the removal of which the features were discovered 
so perfect as to be readily recognised, having all 
the appearance of tranquillity and sweet repose* 
His cravat and shirt exactly corresponded in make 
and form with the appearance of those on the 
monument above the vault. The whole was 
sacredly and immediately closed and replaced ; a 
leaden plate being soldered on, inscribed — " Ed- 
ward Colston, 1721." 

Under the first pew, on the right hand, coming 
in at the north door, lie the remains of Sir John 
Duddlestone, Bart., and Dame Susannah his wife. 
He was an eminent tobacco merchant, in the house 
fronting the south side of St. Werburgh's tower, 
the back part of which is now called Shannon 
Court. It is said that when Prince George, of 
Denmark, arrived in this city, Mr. Duddlestone was 
the first person who invited him to his house ; and 
in return, Queen Anne, on the prince's arrival in 
London from Bristol, created Mr. Duddlestone a 
knight, and afterwards gave him a baronet's patent, 
January 11, 1691. 



153 



ST. AUGUSTINE THE LESS. 

This church was founded by the Abbots of St. 
Augustine's Monastery, as a chapel for the accom- 
modation of the inhabitants who had erected houses 
and lived without the clausum or precincts of the 
convent. It is mentioned in Gaunt's deeds, in the 
year 1240. It was rebuilt, according to William 
Wyrcestre, in 1480; and has been considerably 
enlarged in subsequent periods, and particularly at 
its eastern extremity. Galleries have also been 
erected, and an organ placed at the west end, the 
gift of the late Henry Cruger, Esq., M. P. for 
Bristol in 1774 and 1784. The church is a plain 
fabric, has three long aisles, and is neatly pewed. 

The chancel is spacious, and the ceiling is richly 
ornamented, representing six of the apostles in oval 
frames, composed of sculptured leaves and flowers. 

The upper part of the window on each side of 
the altar, contains fragments of ancient stained 
glass ; and in the mutilated remains may be traced 
portions of the arms of Abbots Newland and Elliott. 

Among the mural monuments in this church is 
one at the east end of the south aisle, to the memory 
of Edward Shier cliff, the author of the first Bristol 
Guide, published in 1789. 

Some short time since, a very handsome oak 
pulpit, in the Gothic style, was erected in this 
church, at the expense of two parishioners, Messrs. 



154 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Rogers and Jeffery ; and very recently an elegant 
baptismal font in pure marble was placed here, at 
the expense of E. J. Staples, M. D., one of the 
churchwardens. 

The pews in 1843 were re-arranged and lowered 
in height, for the greater comfort and convenience 
of the parishioners. 

The Carmelites (or WhiteFriars) had a consider- 
able establishment in this parish, occupying all the 
ground from the Red Lodge, down the hill, to St. 
Augustine's Back, now Colston's School. The 
following eminent characters belonged to this 
priory: — John Milverton, who, for opposing the 
bishops, was committed prisoner to the Castle of 
St. Angelo at Rome, for three years. John Stow, 
an ingenious poet, soon after the time of Chaucer. 
John Spine, doctor and professor of divinity at 
Oxford, a noted preacher and writer. John 
"Walton, D. D., prior in King Henry VI.'s time. 
Nicholas Cantilupe, D. D., of Cambridge. John 
Hooper, who went abroad after the dissolution of 
Monasteries, and getting acquainted with some of 
the Reformers, on his return was made Bishop of 
Gloucester, and was burnt by the Roman Catholics 
Feb. 9, 1559, in the time of Queen Mary, before 
the west-end gate of his own cathedral, for what 
they termed heresy. 

Eleanor, Duchess of Buckingham, 1530, be- 
queathed her heart to be buried in the Grey Friars' 



CHRIST CHURCH. 155 

Church, London, and her body in the White Friars' 
Church, Bristol. 



CHRIST CHUKCH, 

OTHERWISE ST. AUDEN, OR, ST. OWEN. 

The original church is said to have been coeval 
with the origin of the city. Indeed the dates of 
1003 and 1004, formed of lead, and let into a stone 
near the top of the spire, which was found there when 
it was repaired in 1765, seem to establish the fact 
that a church was erected here at the above early 
date. The removal of the Kalendaries also from 
Christ Church to All Saints' Church in 1066 is 
another proof of its then existence. The old church 
(perhaps the third or fourth from the foundation,) 
was taken down in 1787, and the present structure 
was finished and opened for Divine worship in 
1790. Its interior is divided into three aisles of 
equal length, and tastefully decorated, in accordance 
with the modern style in which it is designed. 

Over the altar is a beautiful window of stained 
glass, by Egginton, of Birmingham, which repre- 
sents the figures of Moses and St. John. 

Behind the organ is an object of some interest to 
the antiquarian, in the shape of an old heavy oak 
chest: it was originally secured by three locks; and 
no doubt at one time contained deeds, plate, meney, 
and other valuables belonging to the church. 



156 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Among the monumental inscriptions deserving 
particular notice are two brass plates, placed on 
either side of the vestry door. One to the memory 
of Richard Standfast, chaplain in ordinary to 
King Charles L, who for his loyalty to his sove- 
reign suffered sequestration for fourteen years, and 
returned to Bristol on the restoration of Charles II. 
He was rector of this church for fifty-one years, 
and also a prebendary of the Bristol Cathedral. 
It is a remarkable fact, that although he was blind 
for more than twenty-one years, he performed the 
church service exactly, and discharged the office 
of an able and orthodox preacher. The lines in- 
scribed on the brass plate were composed by him- 
self, as taken down from his own mouth a few 
hours before his death. 

The other brass plate is to the memory of 
Thomas Farmer, mayor and alderman, and also 
his wife, who both died in November, 1624. It is 
recorded of him that in 1616 he went through the 
city trying the weights and measures ; and butter 
being that year very dear, he purchased it from 
ships outward bound, which he sold in the market 
at a reduced price. 

We must not omit to mention that in this church 
repose the remains of the original founder of the 
Bristol Infirmary, John Elbridge, Esq., who also 
bequeathed £3000 to endow a charity school for 
24 girls, in St. Michael's parish. He died in 1739. 



ST. GEORGE. 157 

In the account of the disbursements of the pro- 
curator of Christ Church for the year 1534, is this 
entry, viz. — 

Item : For Ryngyen agenste the comen of the 
byschop of Canterbyrre [Cranmer the Martyr] to 
chorche iiij d . 

A flying dragon is the form of the weather-vane, 
copied from the old church; respecting which 
there are some fanciful conjectures. 54 

The Litany was first sung in English in 1543, 
in a procession from Christ Church to St. Mary 
Redcliff. 

The ancient church of St. Ewen stood on the 
opposite corner of Broad Street, but was taken 
down and the parish incorporated with Christ 
Church, in 1787. 

In the south aisle of St. E wen's was a chapel 
dedicated to John the Baptist, and belonged to a 
fraternity called the Master, Wardens, and Society 
of Merchant Tailors, consisting of brethren and 
sisters. This guild was erected and the chapel 
founded in the time of Richard II. who granted 
them a charter, confirmed by King Henry IV. 



ST. GEORGE, BRANDON HILL. 

The church dedicated to St. George, erected in 

54 A flying dragon is seen upon a bend in the Merchant Ad- 
venturers' arms. 



158 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Great George Street, Park Street, in 1823, has 
been made parochial, the parish of St. Augustine 
being divided for that purpose, and is in the gift 
of the Dean and Chapter. This church contains 
nine hundred free sittings ; the minister's income 
being chiefly derived from the rental of the pews by 
the more opulent parishioners. 



ST. JAMES. 

The priory to which this church belonged was 
founded by Robert Rufus, natural son of King 
Henry I. who was made Lord of Bristol in 1109, 
and was buried in the church in 1147. It was of 
great extent, reaching from the west end of the 
present church, or Whitson's Court, to the barton 
of St. James. In 1753, what was deemed the re- 
fectory was then standing. The prior had a char- 
ter, confirmed by King Henry II. enabling him to 
hold a fair, and also the prisage of wines coming 
to the port of Bristol, from twelve o'clock the 
Saturday before the feast of St. James to the same 
hour the Saturday following ; namely, four pence 
per hogshead. 

The church was built and consecrated in 1130, 
made parochial and the tower added in 1374, at an 
expense to the parishioners. It is said that Robert 
Fitzhaymon, when building the castle, set aside 
every tenth stone to be employed in its original 



ST. JAMES. 159 

structure. It consists of a nave, eighty-four feet in 
lengthy thirty-one in height, and twenty-nine in 
width between the massive piers which support 
five arches, and divide the north and south aisles 
from the nave. The nave and north aisle are parts 
of the original Norman church. The south aisle, 
originally of the same character, was removed in 
1698, to make way for a wider one of the late 
perpendicular style, at an expense to the parish 
of £600. 

The east end of the nave is occupied by a 
Corinthian altar screen, by monuments, and by a 
large painting of the transfiguration put up in 
1768, when the church was re-pewed and two 
spacious galleries were erected. The chancel is 
destroyed, and its place occupied by a house 
erected against the present east wall of the church, 
and by the avenue called Canon Street. 

Notwithstanding all the alterations which had 
been made for the convenience of the parishioners, 
it was found necessary, in 1804, to add a third gal- 
lery over the south aisle, for the accommodation of 
the increasing congregation who attended the parish 
church. 

The galleries now occupy three of its sides; and 
there is an upper gallery at the west end, in which 
a very fine and richly-toned organ is placed ; with 
forms on each side for the Sunday school children. 

The church being thus crowded with galleries 



160 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

and high seats, which form an obstruction, not 
only to the light and ventilation of the building, 
but also render it very difficult in the back 
seats, behind the low heavy Norman arches, to 
hear distinctly either from the reading desk or the 
pulpit. 

The west front, formerly the grand entrance, 
affords a fine specimen of Norman architecture. 
The reason it has remained so long nearly un- 
noticed, is owing to the many buildings immedi- 
ately surrounding the north and west side of the 
church, and which appear to have been erected so 
long ago as 1666/ 5 perhaps earlier. 

Much has been said respecting the origin of the 
pointed arch: it will be here seen at each end, 
produced almost by accident. The round window 
above is a very rare specimen, and is worthy of 
particular regard : — at present some lover of anti- 

65 The house immediately adjoining, which has a private 
entrance to the church, has two shields over the doorway, with 
the initial letters T E A 1666. This, most probably, was the resi- 
dence of the Edwards family, whose monuments are to be found 
in the church, and benefactions recorded. Close by is a spaci- 
ous house, formerly the residence of the Pope family ; the 
staircase, walls, and corridor of which are extremely well 
painted in large, in many compartments ; the subjects are, 
Mercury and two cupids playing with doves ; Venus and Mars ; 
a colossal figure of Hercules ; a large historical piece, in which 
a venerable old man, kneeling, surrounded with females, lays 
a sword and casket of jewels at the feet of a warrior; boys, 
fruit, and flowers ; a trophy of arms ; Minerva and Diana. 



ST. JAMES. 



161 



quity might easily copy it, otherwise time will de- 
vour all its traces, as the zig-zag work, in many 
places, is barely perceptible. 

The following wood cut represents the west 
elevation of this church, as far as it can be seen ; 
the door-way itself is entirely hid, and the round 
arch over it can only be viewed from an exalted 
situation : the adjoining cut gives some idea of the 
window. 





The Chronological Outline of Bristol says, that 
the monumental effigy of Robert, Earl of Glouces- 
ter, who is said to have been buried here in 1147, 
was discovered in 1818, having been concealed 
behind the pews. The figure is now placed in the 
south wall, with a modern inscription on a brass 
plate, with the Earl's arms — three spear rests. A 
close inspection of the effigy, however, must raise 

M 



162 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

a doubt whether it is not intended to represent a 
lady : not to mention that a solitary ring is placed 
on the wedding finger, the statue holds the robe, 
which descends from the shoulders, in such a lady- 
like way, that renders it difficult to believe we 
behold that robust and redoubtable warrior — the 
terror of Stephen, and the idol of the rude soldiery 
of those days. Though sometimes, we believe, 
great men were represented in monks'" habit on 
their tombs, to denote that they died in the " odour 
of sanctity;" — we humbly conceive in this instance 
that is not the case. 

There is also on the south side of the altar a 
very handsome monument, erected to the memory 
of Sir Charles Somerset and his lady Emma. Sir 
Charles is represented in armour, kneeling at an 
altar, and opposite to him his wife, in the same 
posture, and hehind her an only daughter, also 
kneeling: it is a spacious lofty monument, adorned 
on each side with Corinthian pillars, and embel- 
lished at the top with the arms of the family in a 
large shield. Sir Charles died March 11th, 1598, 
and Lady Emma in 1590. 

My body earth, my breath was borrow' d ayre, 
My dated lease expired years of strife, 
My soul with stamp of God, temple of prayer, 
Dissolved by death, mounted to glorious life : 
Life was but lent conditional to dye, 
Death made the period of mortalitye, 
And gave me entrance to eternitye. 



ST. JAMES. 163 

A monument, by E. H.Baily,Esq.,to the memory 
of the Rev. Thomas Tregenna Biddulph, M. A., 
has been erected immediately outside the com- 
munion rails, against the wall, to the right of the 
altar. It consists of a plain pedestal of veined 
marble, supporting the Bible, -on which rests an 
animated bust of the deceased, in his clerical robes. 
The pedestal bears the following inscription : — 

This Monument 

was erected 

as a public testimony of 

Veneration 

for the memory of 

The Rev. Thomas Tbjegenna Biddulph, M. A., 

Thirty-eight years 

Incumbent of this Parish ; 

The pastoral duties of which he discharged 

with irreproachable zeal, faithfulness, and ability. 

He died the 19th of May, 1838, 

In the 76th year of his age. 

Princess Eleanor, the Demoisell of Brittany, 
was buried here after forty years 5 confinement in 
Bristol Castle; — by order of King Henry III. her 
body was removed to the nunnery of Ambresbury, 
Wilts, to which she had been a benefactress. 

Two friaries formerly existed in this extensive 
parish : — one house of Franciscan, or Grey Friars ; 
the other of Dominican, or Black Friars. Whilst 
the order of Grey Friars flourished, the custody of 
Bristol had nine convents under it, and each friary 



164 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

had a common seal : this of Bristol had St. Anthony, 
of Padua. Its site was in Lewin's Mead, where 
the Unitarian Chapel now stands. 

Some of our Calendaries say, that in 1226, St. 
Francis himself, the founder of the order, came to 
Bristol; he probably established this house of 
Friars Minors, as it is asserted that he founded the 
nunnery of Laycock, in Wiltshire. 

The Dominican, or Black Friars' House stood 
where the Friends' Meeting House is now built, 
between Rosemary Street and the Broad Weir ; a 
sort of court close by is still called " The Friars." 

" In King Henry VIII.'s time, Master Haber- 
dyne, master pryour of St. Jamys, preaching at 
Oxford against the doctrines of Latimer, and at 
the same time dancing the puppets of Christ, and 
Peter, and others, the pulpit gave way ; and on his 
complaint, the churchwardens told him that they 
had made the pulpit for preaching, and not for 
dancing." 

Such strict observers of the Sabbath were the 
people of this parish, in the year 1679, that at a 
vestry meeting four persons were judged guilty of 
a most heinous crime, and were cited in the spi- 
ritual court, fox " purloining the Lord's day," in 
travelling to Bath on foot ; to the great dishonour 
of Almighty God and true religion: for which they 
confessed their sin in the said court, and paid 
twenty shillings for the use of the parish. 



165 

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, AND ST. 
LAWRENCE. 

The church of St. John consists of but one aisle, 
and is the smallest in Bristol. It was founded by 
Walter Frampton, who had been thrice mayor. 
He was buried here, and his effigy, clothed in a 
robe or gown over a coat of mail, is on the north 
side of the altar. The date on his tomb is 1357. 

At the entrance of the church, underneath the 
boards that cover the floor, are the effigies, cut in 
brass, of Thomas Rowley and his wife ; the latter 
died in 1470 — the former in 1478. 

An ancient ornamented hour glass stands upon 
an iron bracket in the vestry. These glasses were 
formerly attached to the pulpit, to regulate the 
time for the delivery of the sermon. Near this is 
a mutilated figure with a crown upon its head, but 
whom it represents is not known. 

The tower stands upon an archway, which con- 
tained a gate of the old city: the channel, in which 
the portcullis used to traverse, may still be seen. 

On the south side of the tower are quaintly "car- 
veiled" two venerable figures, intended to represent 
the brothers Brennus and Belinus, said to have 
been the original founders of the city. 

This church has recently undergone considerable 
alterations and repairs. 



166 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Two arches were formed in 1828, for foot pas- 
sengers, on either side of the gateway. The western 
arch, on the right side entering from Quay Street, 
exhibits on a corbel, at the spring of the arch, a 
warrior's head ; and on the left, a bishop's, carved 
on freestone. On the inner side, the ciphers G. R. 
and C. B. denoting that the church is protected by 
the royal and civic, by the military and ecclesias- 
tical authorities of the state. The eastern arch is 
also ornamented with corbels. The tout ensemble 
of the three arches has a light and graceful appear- 
ance, rendering that spot which for ages continued 
unsightly and dangerous, ornamental and safe. 

The church of St. Lawrence, which stood imme- 
diately to the west end of the archway, was sold 
and taken down in 1580, when the parish was in- 
corporated with St. John's. 

The arch at the end of St. John Street, on which 
a house is built, was also a gateway belonging to 
the old city wall. 

A Singular Bequest. — Coronation of George 
IV.—" Mr. J. Farr, of the parish of St. John 
Baptist, Bristol, on the 19th July, 1821, pre- 
sented to the Rev. ¥m. Mirehouse, curate, and 
to the vestry of this parish, a silver goblet, in com- 
memoration of the coronation of his Majesty King 
George IV. which took place this day. Also 
twenty-five guineas, the interest whereof to be 



ST. MARY-LE-PORT. 167 

given as follows, viz. Five shillings for wine at the 
election of churchwardens every year, to be drank 
out of the aforesaid goblet ; and twenty shillings 
a year to be given to the women residing in St. 
John's Almshouse, on the 11th of December, ex- 
cept there should be a coronation in such year,, and 
then the women are to receive the twenty shillings 
on the coronation day." 



ST. MARY-LE-PORT, 

It is said, was founded by William, Earl of Glou- 
cester, about 1170, in the time of Henry II. It 
has two aisles, and stands on a rising ground above 
the Avon. Formerly there was a gradual descent 
from this church to the river, where ships discharged 
their cargoes, and whence it took the name of 
Mary of the Port. The roof, which was richly 
ornamented before it was daubed over, is supported 
with six freestone arches and seven pillars, neatly 
fluted and painted. The church has been lately 
cleaned and repewed, at an expense of about £500 ; 
nearly one half of which has been raised by private 
subscription. 

The altar-piece is inscribed at the top in Hebrew 
characters : — Jehovah our Alehim is one Jehovah. 

In March, 1814, upon sinking a vault near the 
vestry, in the north aisle, under a mural monument, 
which has always been called the tomb of William 



168 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Little, the Bristol grammarian, a corpse was found 
in a remarkably perfect state of preservation, being 
chiefly converted into the substance called adipo- 
cere. It was erroneously said to have been the 
body of Mr. Yeamans, 56 a sheriff of Bristol, and 
one of the persons executed in Wine Street, for 
conspiring to deliver up the city to King Charles I. 
The heart is deposited in the late Mr. R. Smith's 
anatomical museum, at the Infirmary. 

The brazen eagle, which formerly adorned the 
cathedral, reposes here, by the liberality of the late 
Mr. Wm. Ady,with an inscription which records its 
history, and directs it to remain here for ever. It 
stands on a globe supported by a massy pedestal, 
with four lions at its base, and is altogether seven 
feet high. It weighs six hundred and ninety-two 
pounds, and stood in the cathedral one hundred 
and nineteen years. 

This church has undergone so many repairs and 
alterations, that it is a question whether any portion 
of the original building, with the exception of the 
tower, remains. The latter is of early English 
character, with the shafts of its upper windows 
much mutilated, but the battlements and pinnacles 
that surmount the tower are evidently of a period 

56 In a pamphlet, entitled " The Two State Martyrs," in 
which is recounted the manner of the execution, &c. Mr. Yea- 
mans is stated to have been buried at Christ Church ; and Mr. 
Boucher, his unfortunate colleague, at St. Werburgh's. 



ST. MATTHEW. 169 

posterior to the construction of the original struc- 
ture; the south-east pinnacle is loftier than the 
others, and divided into three stages, decorated 
with trefoil arches. Furrowed over with years, 
that age has chiselled upon its face, shattered by 
the fury of elementary strife, its hoary head has 
long struggled with the cankering hand of time, 
until the fretted surface of its crumbling, moulder- 
ing stones, bears legible impress of the riot and the 
desolation that follow in the track, over which has 
flown the darkening shadow of his mighty wings. 57 



ST. MATTHEW. 

The parish of St. James being extensive, and 
the population very numerous, it was deemed 
necessary, for the accommodation of the inhabi- 
tants of Kingsdown and its vicinity, to erect a new 
church in that situation. A subscription was 
readily obtained for that purpose, and the founda- 
tion stone was laid with much ceremony, by the 
late J. Bangley, Esq., August 26, 1833 ; the late 
venerable and Rev. T. T. Biddulph, incumbent of 
St. James's, then ascended the stone and addressed 
the audience, which were computed at nearly fif- 
teen thousand, in the most energetic and affecting 
manner; and, after thanking Mr. Bangley, the 
Committee, Secretaries, Subscribers, &c. for their 

37 See " Cursory Observations on the Churches of Bristol." 



170 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

exertions, offered up a solemn and impressive 
prayer. 

A marble monument has been erected in this 
church, to the memory of the late J.Bangley,Esq., 
bearing the following inscription : — 

Sacred to the Memory of 
JOHN BANGLEY, Esq. 
late of Kingsdown, Merchant, who died Oct. 8, 1836, in 
the 78 th year of his age, and whose remains are deposited in 
the Cathedral church of this city. For more than 50 years 
he was an inhabitant of the parish of St. James; and as 
senior Vestryman laid the Foundation stone of 
This Church, 

on the 26 th day of August, 1833, towards the building 

of which he contributed liberally, and moreover 

presented to it a set of 

EIGHT BELLS. 

By his will, he gave several bequests to charitable Institu- 
tions in Bristol and its neighbourhood, and left an 

ANNUAL GIFT 
of Thirteen Pounds, to be equally divided between twenty- 
six poor men and women, inhabitants of the parish 
of St. James, on the 26 th day of July for ever. 

This church was consecrated by the late Dr. 
Ryder, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, and 
opened for public worship in the spring of 1835. 

It is a large and handsome building, and has a 
number of free sittings for the accommodation of 
the poor. The choice of the minister is vested in 
the hands of appointed trustees. 



171 



THE MAYOR'S CHAPEL, 

FORMERLY THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AND HOSPITAL OF THE 
VIRGIN MARY AND ST. MARK. 

It is observable that this chapel is not built as 
churches commonly are, east and west, but rather 
nearer to the north and south, for which some 
assign this reason, that it was to point to the place 
of residence of the joint founders and their ances- 
tors, Berkeley Castle : others, that it should point 
towards the lands with which it was endowed. 
As this church was formerly called the Gaunt's 
Church, so the old hospital thereto belonging went 
by the name of the Gaunts of Billeswick, " because 
Maurice de Gaunt built this hospital in Billeswick 
Manor, in the north-west suburb of the town of 
Bristol, near the Monastery of St. Augustine, before 
A. D. 1229, for one chaplain, and one hundred 
poor people to be relieved every day." 

Gaunt's Hospital must have been of great ex- 
tent, since the boundaries can be traced from the 
corner of Pipe Lane, Frogmore Street, to the 
western corner of Mark Lane, St. Augustine's 
Back ; Orchard Street, being once what its name 
implies, within the limits. 

Leland's notice of this establishment runs thus : 
" One Henry Gaunte, a knyght, sometyme dwell- 
ynge not farre from Brandone Hylle, by Bright- 
stow, erectyd a college of priests, with a master, 
on the green of St. Augustine." 



172 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

The religious of this hospital are frequently 
named Bonnes Hommes ; and were compelled by 
their rules, when abroad, to wear black caps, having 
the arms of the establishment worked thereon; 
namely, a field gules, three geese passant Argent. 

Under the tower, at the east front, is a small 
low door to enter the church, and on the north 
side another, by which you enter into a smal 1 
room, formerly a confessional, with two arches 
in the wall, between this room and the high 
altar, for the priest and penitent. There are eight 
curious niches round the room, in which images 
were formerly fixed. The roof is vaulted with 
freestone ; in the centre of which are two curious 
shields, with several coats of arms in freestone, viz. 
England and France, the Gourneys, 58 Poyntz, of 
Acton, &c. 

58 The arms of Gourney are stated by Barrett to be Or, three 
pales azure, on a shield, which appear in painted glass above 
the altar, together with Berkeley's arms. Now we are inclined 
to hazard a conjecture that Gourney's arms were Azure, a 
chevron Argent, being the shield that is placed quarterly with 
Berkeley's, over the entrance to the Virgin Mary's Chapel in 
the cathedral, [which Mr. Barrett calls the ancient bearing of 
the Fitzhardings, before they added the ten crosses patee] and 
for this reason : — the inscription on the monument of Sir 
Richard Newton Cradock, of Barr's Court, says, 

Gournep, Hampton, Cradock, Newton last 
Held on the measure of that ancient line 
Of Baron's blood ; &c. &c. 

And on his shield of twenty-four coats — the simple chevron, as 



the mayor's chapel. 173 

In 1820, this chapel was partially, but truly " re- 
paired and beautified ;" a superb stained window 
was added, and the high altar screen restored to its 
original beauty, at the expense of the Corporation, 
by the suggestion and under the immediate direction 
of the Chamberlain, Thomas Garrard, Esq. 

On the 31st of October, 1830, this chapel, after 
having been completely " repaired and beautified," 
was re-opened for divine worship. 

The entrance from College Green is to an anti- 
chapel, the roof of which supports the floor of the 
organ-loft. This entrance forms a chamber of 
beautiful gothic work, with stained windows. 

The west front of the organ gallery has a very 
imposing appearance, from the great profusion of 
gothic panelling, tracery, and decorated mould- 
ings. It is flanked at the angles with octagonal 
turrets, of singular elegance, embattled and sur- 
mounted with canopies, crockets, &c. The groining, 
with fan panelling, under the gallery, is supported 
by clustered columns and highly-finished capitals. 
The east front is more elaborate, and beautifully 

above stated, first appears. In the recess, immediately to the 
left of the above-mentioned entrance, where formerly some 
sculptured knight, we have no doubt, reclined, this coat of a 
single chevron is eighteen times repeated on the roof. May not 
one of the Gourneys have rested here ? Who could have been 
the ancient Fitzharding? It must needs have been Harding 
himself ; as the founder bears the ten crosses. What was th« 
Baron of Folkingham's arms ? 



174 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

decorated. The spandrils, quatrefoils, buttresses, 
sculptures, arches, and cornices, are all from the 
chissel of a master; and the oak gates are fine 
specimens of taste and judgment. In fact, the 
arrangement of the whole is excellent. The stained 
glass, introduced within the panels, produces a 
composition of great attractive effect, giving to it 
an interest of a very high description. 

The pulpit and the throne for the Mayor, the 
first of Painswick stone, and the latter of oak, are 
in a style of workmanship of a very superior cast. 
The bracket of the pulpit is well worth attention. 
The canopies over the stall erected for the Corpo- 
ration, &c. are very chastely conceived, the deco- 
rations being of vine foliage, tracery, and tabernacle 
work : the carving is exquisite. Under the cano- 
pies the niches are decorated with demi-coronated 
angels, ogee mouldings, and embossed cornices. 
The stalls, the reading desk, and the clerk's desk, 
are of oak, the doors and standards of which are 
finely carved, and richly decorated. The original 
old English oak ceiling remains; its bosses, span- 
drils, mouldings, corbels, spandril-bosses, and 
demi-angels, are all in high preservation, and 
therefore only required to be cleaned, gilded, and 
varnished, to be in unison with the new work. 

The south aisle has also undergone a complete 
repair, and now forms a convenient and appro- 
priate deposit for its splendid monuments. There 



the mayor's chapel. 175 

is in the outer south aisle a very finely stained 
window, by Pearon, representing in his pontificals, 
Miles Saley, a Bishop of Llandaff, and a founder. 
It is a copy of a painting by West, late President 
of the Royal Academy, and was purchased by the 
Corporation from Fonthill Abbey. 

In the centre of the exquisitely beautiful altar- 
piece is now placed a highly-finished painting, by 
Mr. King, of a Dead Christ, surrounded by his 
sorrowing disciples. The body of the Saviour, 
recently taken down from the cross, occupies the 
fore-ground, the head resting on the lap of the Virgin 
Mother, who bends over it with chastened agony, 
faith in the " resurrection and the life" calming 
the mortal suffering. She is supported by St. John, 
who suppresses his own grief to administer comfort 
to her. Near the feet kneels the Magdalen, in 
whom affection and sorrow sweetly combine. She 
holds and presses for the last time the pierced hand 
of her Lord, and her feelings seem absorbed in the 
mournful spectacle before her. At the head, behind 
the Virgin, Joseph of Arimathea is meditating on 
the affecting scene, and another old man is going 
into the sepulchre, to direct the preparations. In 
the back ground are the crosses, the Roman soldiers, 
and a distant view of the city and temple. 

Poyntz Sepulchral Chapel, with its fine vaulted 
roof, sculptured niches, and painted window, which 
has been used for many years as a vestry, will, we 



176 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

hope, be completely restored to its original beauty 
and proportions. 

The monumental statue of Sir Henry de Gaunt, 
master of the hospital in 1230, is yet preserved. 

Among the monuments there are two knights, 
armed in mail, their right hands on their swords 5 
hilts, on the left their shields, with their legs across, 
which show them to be Knights of the Holy "War, 
or Crusade, which ended with Henry III.'s reign 
in 1268. Whom they are intended to represent 
is uncertain, but most probably either the Berkeleys 
or Gourneys. 

August, 1680. The infamous Captain William 
Bedloe was buried near the great door, next the 
Green, without any memorial or inscription. He 
is said to have been concerned in the Rye-House 
Plot in Charles II.'s time. 



A private oratory was discovered some years since 
on the first floor in the house, situate next door 
to the chapel, adorned with scriptural paintings. 
Several other instances could be pointed out in 
Bristol, of remains of religious edifices appearing 
as part of private houses. It is affirmed, indeed, 
that a church, dedicated to St. Andrew, formerly 
stood at the corner of High Street and Wine 
Street, but no positive authority can be found for 
this ; the old maps, however, describe the High 
Cross as being the centre of four churches. 



177 



ST. MICHAEL. 

The original structure is supposed to have been 
built about 1193, by Robert Fitzhaymon, who en- 
dowed his abbey of Tewkesbury with this church, 
but the present church was founded in July, 1775, 
and opened for divine worship in June, 1777. The 
outside of the building is modern Gothic, and suited 
to the old tower, which has been preserved : it is 
about ninety feet high, has four pinnacles, and a 
peal of six bells. In the gallery is an organ, much 
admired for its elegant appearance and richness of 
tone. 

On the east side of the tower, over the roof, is a 
niche, in which is fixed a figure of an abbot, or 
as some imagine, of St. Michael, the patron saint. 

In the old church appeared the following very 
singular epitaph :— 

Dominus{^^. t 

Anna Filia Richardi Ash, iEtatis Suae Tertio. 
Obiit Vicessimo Quarto Die Maii. 

With the figure of an ash tree cut off in the centre, 
and dated 1645 : — 

tL ! ^ { ts ! «* *>- { SEK.S r e daie 

And on the floor of the communion table was the 
following inscription, on a large flat stone, without 
any date; but from the form and appearance of 
the characters, it is conjectured to be coeval with 

N 



178 CHILCOTT's BRISTOL GUIDE. 

the above. It was copied many years ago, from 
the original ; and on account of its singularity, we 
think it not unworthy a place here : — 

SwT?! Ashes ( h ri e iK othe l Ash \™™™> 

In hope that ) ( shall be J ( agame, 

Ashes to) a , ( return shall, and arise, 
Which J ( in Ashes, here expecting, lies. 59 

In the parish of St. Michael were, of old, two 
religious houses ; one consisting of nuns under a 
prioress, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, and 
founded by Eva, wife of Robert. Fitzhar ding: — the 
other, a brotherhood or priory to St. Bartholomew. 
The site of the nuns' house was where the King 
David Inn now stands ; the latter still retains the 
name of Bartholomew's Hospital, and is situated 
in Christmas Street, where the City Boys are at 
present educated. 

" The Eolle of Seyncte Bartholemewies Priorie," 
given by Chatterton to Mr. Barrett, and by him 
inserted page 428 of his history, should be well 
considered by those who deny the authenticity of 
the Rowley MSS. In every point of view it is a 
most extraordinary document. 

There is also in this parish a chapel dedicated 
to the Three Kings of Coleyn^ attached to an 

59 The descendants of this family still reside in Bristol. 

60 The reader is referred to the popular novel of Quentin 
Durward, for particulars respecting these personages. It seems 
that the wise men of the east, who laid offerings at the feet of 
Christ in the manger, are the kings alluded to. 



ST. NICHOLAS. 179 

almshouse called Foster's, founded in King Henry 
VII.'s time, at the top of Queen Street and Steep 
Street. 

Annexed to Colston's Almshouse, also in this 
parishes another chapel, where service is performed 
according to the ritual of the Church of England. 

A neat Gothic building has recently been erected 
near the church, for an infant school for the poor. 



ST. NICHOLAS, ST. LEONARD, AND 
ST. GILES. 

On entering High Street, from the Bridge, the 
old church of St. Nicholas, 61 stood on an arch above 
the road, having gates, and being the city boundary. 

61 " Richard Wombstrong bequeaths to God and the blessed 
virgin his mother, for the souls of his father and mother, and 
to the church of St. Nicholas, in Bristol, for the purpose of 
building a chapel in honour of the mother of Jesus Christ, the 
whole of his bakehouse, in length and breadth above the cellar, 
near the east end of the said church, and towards the west end 
of the sardxhurch, in equal length and breadth within side. To 
be had and held by the parishioners of the said church in as 
full and ample manner as any donation can be made ; and the 
said churchwardens are to pay in hand thirty marks. He re- 
serves to himself and heirs the use of the said cellar. Witnesses, 
William Fitz Nichol, then mayor of Bristol, James la Waire," 
&c. — From an old deed in the possession of Mr. Cumberland. 
The original probably was written as early as the reign of King 
John. 



180 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE- 

This old church, Rowley says, was founded by the 
Saxon Brictric, in 1030. The present crypt, which 
will be regarded by the antiquary with peculiar 
interest, on his viewing its heavy and massive 
columns, its richly moulded and ornamented arches, 
and the quaint and ever- varying decorations of its 
bosses, is said to be the ground floor of that church. 
The heads of King Edward II. and of Queen Phi- 
lippa, wife of King Edward III. are pointed out 
as being among the busts in the arched ceiling of 
the crypt. The present church was finished in 
1768. 

On entering the porch, two guilded figures are 
seen, and the figure of Justice standing against the 
east wall which belonged to the altar-piece of the 
old church. 

On the eastern wall also reclines a figure represent- 
ing Alderman John Whitson, who from an humble 
and obscure situation was raised to opulence and 
distinction ; and immediately under the tower, in 
the church porch, is a monument to the same great 
benefactor to this city, and author of a treatise 
called " The Pious Christian's Final Farewell to 
the World and its Vanities." The latter monument 
was erected by the late Mr. Clarke and Mr. W. 
Edkins some years since, at the expense of the 
Chamber, and is a handsome specimen of florid 
Gothic. The following is the inscription :— 



ST. NICHOLAS, 181 

IN 

MEMOBIE 

OF 

THAT 

GREATE BENEFACTOVR TO THIS CITIE, 

IOHN WHITSON, MERCHAVNT, 

TWICE MAYOR AND ALDERMAN, 

AND 

FOVR TIMES MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT; 

FOL THIS CITIE, 

WHO DIED IN THE 72nd YEARE OF HIS AGE 5 

A. D. 1629, 

A 

WORTHIE PATTERNE TO ALL THAT COME AFTER 

HIM. 

The pews on either side of the church are erected 
in a sloping direction to the centre. The ceiling is 
beautifully ornamented, and the whole interior has 
a light and cheerful appearance. It has a fine-toned 
organ, which was repaired in 1821, under the su- 
perintendence of Dr. Hodges. 

Above the tower rises a beautiful spire, sur- 
mounted by a weather-cock; its height from the 
ground is two hundred and five feet. 

An excellent illuminated clock, made by Mr. 
Palmer, of London, who obtained the large silver 
medal from the Society of Arts, has been placed in 
the south side of the tower. 

The patronage of the living is with the Dean and 
Chapter of Bristol, Humfrey Brown, in 1629, gave 
£20 per annum for a Sunday afternoon lecture in 
this church. 



182 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

St. Nicholas is reported to have been friendly 
to mariners, and churches dedicated to him are 
generally built by the water side. 

In 1360, a chapel across the centre of Bristol 
Bridge, dedicated to the Virgin, was completed ; 
said to have been founded by Edward and Phi- 
lippa. Its dimensions were twenty-five yards by 
seven : it contained four windows on each side, a 
high window over the altar, and a small chapel, 
with an altar on each side. Under it was an arched 
room of the same extent, for the use of the alder- 
men. It was demolished in 1643, by Walter Ste- 
phens, a linen draper, and a leader among the 
parliamentarians. 



ST. PAUL. 

This church is situated in Portland Square. 
In consequence of the parish of St. James having 
rapidly increased in buildings and in population, 
an act of parliament was procured to divide the 
parish, and to erect a new parish church, dedicated 
to St. Paul. This was founded April, 1789, and 
opened for divine worship on St. Paul's day, 1794. 
It is a handsome structure in the Gothic style. 
The roof is supported by lofty pillars of stone with 
fancied capitals, and is beautifully arched and stuc- 
coed over the middle aisle. It has three spacious 
galleries, the front one being nearly semi-circular, 



ST. BARNABAS. 183 

and contains a very good organ. Over the altar is 
a painting finely executed by Bird : the subject is 
St. Paul preaching at Athens. 



ST. BARNABAS, 

st. paul's parish. 

The Church of St. Barnabas, which was built 
by the Diocesan Church Building Association, 
aided by private subscriptions, was opened and 
consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Gloucester and 
Bristol, on Tuesday, September 12, 1843. It is a 
small but neat structure, in the cruciform shape, 
with a steeple rising over the west entrance. It is 
situated about midway along the Ashley Road, near 
Stoke's Croft. The chancel, which is more than 
usually commodious, is formed by the head of the 
cross, and of course is in the east end ; a spacious 
crypt runs under the entire length of the sacred 
edifice. The interior of the church is 130 feet in 
length, and 90 feet broad across the transepts. At 
the west end is a commodious gallery, and the 
body of the church is unencumbered with pews, 
the seats being open, with open backs. The fittings 
up of the interior are somewhat different from the 
usual style. The pulpit is placed on the north side 
of the chancel, and the reading desk on the south : 
there is no desk for a clerk, and we understand no 
such functionary is to be appointed, the congrega- 



184 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

tion, according to the revived fashion, are to give 
the responses. An oak lecterne, in the place of an 
eagle, will be placed on the steps of the chancel, 
from which the officiating clergyman will read the 
lessons. The creed and commandments in the 
chancel are painted with illuminated letters in the 
style of the Roman missals. The church furnishes 
750 sittings, of which 500 are free, those only in 
the transepts being private. The cost of erecting 
the church, without the parsonage house attached, 
is upwards of £2,200. There is an endowment of 
£150 per annum, exclusive of the parsonage house, 
where the clergyman resides. The appointment 
is with the Bishop of the Diocese. 



ST. ANDREW, 

MONTPELUER. 

This church was consecrated January 31, 1845, 
by the Lord Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. 
The site of the sacred edifice is in the newly con- 
stituted district taken out of the parishes of St. 
Paul and Horfield. 

The church is built in the early English style of 
architecture, the plan is cruciform, the length from 
east to west being 99 feet 9 inches, and 27 feet 
wide; from north to south 57 feet 9 inches, and 27 
feet wide; which, with a gallery at the west end, 
will accommodate 800 persons. The tower is at 



ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL. 185 

the west end, and is 60 feet high, and was designed 
to be surmounted by a spire 70 feet, making an 
entire height from the ground of 130 feet, but 
this cannot be accomplished at present for want of 
funds. It would certainly add greatly to the eifect 
of the exterior. The chancel is ascended by two 
steps, and the altar floor by three. The communion 
table is of carved oak, and is, we understand, a 
model of one in Cologne Cathedral. It was pre- 
sented to this church by H. Champernowne, Esq., of 
Darlington, Devon. The altar screen is of Pains- 
wick stone, forming an arcade the entire width of 
the east end of seven arches, with detached shafts; 
the spandrils are richly carved ; the font is of the 
same material, and corresponds with it in design, 
and is placed at the west end ; the pulpit is of 
Bath stone. There are on the south side of the 
chancel, two sedillia and a piscina. The roof is 
open wood work, the principal timbers being sup- 
ported by carved stone corbels. The benches 
are made of deal, stained a dark oak colour, and 
without doors. The cost, including boundary 
walls, levelling ground, &c, £2,428 : if the spire 
had been added, the cost would have been £155 
additional. 



ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL 

Is confidently stated to have been founded before 
the Norman Conquest ; little, however, is known 



186 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

of its early history. But it was in such a decayed 
state in 1749, that a faculty was obtained out of 
the bishop's court, to repair and beautify the whole, 
which cost upwards of £800. It was also repaired 
in 1795, when it was found necessary to re-erect 
many of the arches and pillars; to renew the ceiling 
of the middle aisle; and to erect a new pulpit. 
The church is now a neat, clean, and spacious 
edifice, with three aisles ; has a handsome Corin- 
thian altar screen, and a fine organ loft, built in 
the Doric style ; the representation of St. Peter 
with his keys crowning the summit of the organ. 

The tower is a low, massive, and clumsy build- 
ing, in the Norman style of architecture, and was 
probably erected in the twelfth century. 

The church contains some curious ancient mo- 
numents ; one of which, in the east end of the 
south aisle, (formerly a chapel dedicated to the 
' blessed Mary of Bellhouse,) within a Gothic arch, 
adorned with a great variety of curious workman- 
ship, without any inscription, is the figure of a 
lady, lying upon the tomb, who, from the armorial 
bearings, appears to belong to the Newtons of 
Barr's Court, Gloucestershire. 

In the same aisle is a magnificent monument, 
with a long Latin inscription, to the memory of 
Robert Aldworth, merchant and alderman, who 
died the 6th of Nov. 1634. He was a great bene- 
factor to this city. 



ST. PHILIP AND JACOB. 187 

There is also a monument on the floor near the 
above, engraved on brass, a priest in alb. chesible, 
stole and maniple — holding in his hand the chalice 
with the consecrated wafer. The inscription un- 
derneath is — 

Hie jacet magister Robtus Loud Capellanas qui obiit xxiij 
die Februarii Anno d~m millimo cccclxi cuius domini propri- 
cietur Deus. Amen. 

A stone in the middle aisle had the following 
inscription; — "Sir John Cadaman, Knt. was be- 
headed in the castle for killing Miles Callowhill, 
an officer of the garrison, while Prince Rupert had 
possession of Bristol, and was buried April 9, 1645." 

In the church-yard were buried the remains of 
the poet Richard Savage, equally celebrated for his 
poetical genius, his indiscretions, and distresses. 
The series of calamities which he suffered through 
life, he owed to the unnatural conduct of his mother, 
the Countess of Macclesfield. He died in the pri- 
son of Newgate, in this city, where he was under 
confinement for debt, and where he wrote those 
merciless lines called, " London and Bristol Deli- 
neated" 



ST. PHILIP AND JACOB. 

This church is supposed to have been the chapel 
of some Benedictines, subject to the Abbey of 
Tewkesbury : its early history appears to be very 



188 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

uncertain ; but it is mentioned in Gaunt's deeds as 
parochial before the year 1200. In 1388, Henry 
Wakefield, Bishop of Worcester, by deed, annexed 
the rectory of St. Philip to the monastery of 
Tewkesbury ; previously to which the chancel 
most probably formed the whole church. 

The room underneath the tower and two arches 
at the north and south aisle appear the oldest por- 
tion of the church. The chief entrance was for- 
merly under the tower, where are the remains 
of an arched door way, containing some beautiful 
early English capitals of sculptured foliage and a 
portion of the ribs, forming a vaulted roof. There 
are also two other arches with rich mouldings, the 
one may be termed the belfry arch, and the other 
is at the entrance of the north aisle. The columns 
or piers in this church have a very heavy appear- 
ance, being without a base, and rise direct from 
the ground without any moulding whatever. 

The baptismal font is ancient, said to be of 
Saxon origin, is of a square form, and rests on a 
single column. It has been painted to imitate grey 
marble. 

A chauntry was founded here by one Kemys ; 
and one of the aisles is still denominated Kemys' 
aisle, which is divided from the chancel by richly 
panelled piers, with Tudor arches of the florid or 
perpendicular style. There is an ancient bust in 
this aisle, said to be of Robert, eldest son of Wil- 



ST. PHILIP AND JACOB. 



189 



liam the Conqueror, and which formerly orna- 
mented the church which stood within the castle 
walls. 




Duke Robert was, through his credulity and 
easy disposition, cozened of his right of succession, 
on the death of his brother William Rufus, by his 
other brother Henry I., who not only deprived him 
of his crown here, but also of his dukedom of Nor- 
mandy. The duke, on being made prisoner, was 
sent into England, under the charge of the Bishop 
of Salisbury, and confined in Bristol Castle; where 
it is not improbable that he lost his sight, by the 
hot brass basin which was ordered to be applied to 
his eyes by his cruel brother, in order to prevent 
his escape. He died, some say, in Cardiff Castle. 



190 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Rowley, in enumerating Mr. Canynge's collection 
of curiosities, mentions Duke Robert's gauntlet, 
left by him in Bristol Castle. 

At the east end of the aisle is a modern finely- 
sculptured canopy, adorned with crotchets and 
finials in good taste ; underneath is a marble 
slab, containing a just tribute to the memory of the 
Rev. Wm. Day, A. M. ; below which is laid the 
holy bible. 

This church has recently undergone considerable 
repairs and alterations, the expense of which was 
defrayed by voluntary subscriptions. 

The following is somewhat curious: — In 1279, 
12th September, process was issued out of the 
office of the Bishop of "Worcester against Peter de 
la Mare, constable of the castle of Bristol, and 
others his accomplices, for infringing the privileges 
of the church, in taking one William de Lay, who 
fled for refuge to the church-yard of St. Philip and 
Jacob, for carrying him into the castle and im- 
prisoning him, and lastly, cutting off his head. 
Nine or ten being involved in this crime, their 
sentence was to go from the church of the Friars 
Minor, in Lewin's Mead, to the church of St. 
Philip and Jacob, through the streets, almost in a 
state of nudity, for four market days for four suc- 
cessive weeks, each receiving discipline in the way: 
and Peter de la Mare was enjoined to build a stone 
cross, at the expense of one hundred shillings at 



ST. LUKE. 191 

least, that one hundred poor be fed round it, on a 
certain day every year, and that he should find a 
priest to celebrate mass during his life, where the 
bishop might appoint. This stone cross is men- 
tioned by William Wyrcestre. 

In this parish is a chapel dedicated to the Holy 
and Undivided Trinity and St. George, which be- 
longs to an almshouse founded by John Barnstaple, 
thrice mayor of Bristol. It is situated at the top 
of Old Market Street. 



HOLY TRINITY, 

PARISH OF ST. PHILIP AND JACOB. 

Sept. 23, 1829, the foundation stone of a new 
church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was laid 
near the turnpike-gate on the road to Easton, for 
the accommodation of the out-parishioners of this 
populous parish. It was consecrated and opened 
for public worship on the 17th February, 1832. 
Nearly one third of the sittings are free. 

A large building for a school, in connection with 
this church, as a district schoo], is built on the 
opposite side of the way, under the will of the late 
Mrs. H. More, for the education of poor children. 



ST. LUKE, 

OUT PARISH OF ST. PHILIP AND JACOB, 

Is built near to the Cotton Works, to provide 



192 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

religious instruction for its inmates, as well as for 
the rapidly increasing population of its immediate 
neighbourhood. It was opened and consecrated 
for public worship by the Bishop of Gloucester and 
Bristol, on Wednesday, September 19, 1843. 

The church of St. Luke is intended to resemble 
in style the churches of the 13th century, in which 
more detail and ornament can be dispensed with 
than in any other style. The west doorway is a 
specimen of early English with equilateral pointed 
arch, with hood mouldings terminating on carved 
corbels. The north doorway is similar in design 
to the west, has an equilateral pointed arch, .with 
foliated spandrils, and the hood moulding is car- 
ried horizontal over the head, and surmounted by 
a window over, with ogee-shaped hood moulding 
crocketed, terminating with a finial. The tower 
rises about 100 feet from the ground. The interior 
of this church is 100 feet long, and 46 feet broad, 
and provides free-sittings for 750 persons, and 40 
in private pews ; and in the west gallery there is 
accommodation for 230 children, making in the 
aggregate number 1020. The patronage of the 
church is vested in the Rev. S. E. Day, the vicar 
of the parish. There is an endowment of £150 a 
year, and it is proposed to erect a parsonage house 
adjoining. The roof is divided in the centre into 
bays terminating with pointed arches, horizontal 
tie beams or girders, which span the width of roof 



DISTRICTS. 193 

and rest at each end on the wall plates ; thus serv- 
ing to restrain any lateral expansion of the walls. 
Beneath the tie beams are spandrils, serving as 
braces, springing from corbels. The floor of the 
church is supported on brick arches, turned upon 
strong cast iron guilders; and under the church 
are spacious accommodations for 700 children, with 
rooms for school-master and mistress, and large 
committee-room, together with convenient offices, 
and a plentiful supply of water. The cost of erect- 
ing the church, including warm -air stove, iron 
railing, and gates, boundary walls, &c. &c. amounts 
to about £2,700. The limitation in price, and the 
neighbourhood in which it is placed being inhabited 
chiefly by persons in a humble sphere of life, 
would not allow of means to carry into effect an 
expensive style of Gothic architecture. The ar- 
chitect was Mr. S. T. Welch, of this city. 



DISTRICTS 

CONSTITUTED UNDER THE ENDOWMENT ACT, 

6 & 7 Victoria, Cap. 37, 
In the Gift of the Crown and Bishop alternately. 

The District of St. Jude, Trinity, parish of St. 
Philip and Jacob, containing a population of 4800 
inhabitants, includes Gloucester Lane, Wade Street, 
Lamb Street, New Street, Brick Street, Poyntz 
Pool, and places adjacent. 
o 



194 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

St. Simon adjoins St. Jude's District, and con- 
tains a population of about 2200. 62 

It is intended to erect two more district churches 
in the parish of St. Philip and Jacob, viz. one in 
Unity Street, and the other in the Dings ; one at 
Hillsbridge, without Temple Gate, parish of Tem- 
ple ; one at Mardyke, Hotwell Road, parish of St. 
George, Brandon Hill ; one on the Weir, parish of 
St. Peter ; and one at St. Bartholomew's District, 
parish of St. James. 



ST. STEPHEN. 

The original church was probably built early in 
the thirteenth century, between the outer and 
inner walls of the old city, on the banks of the 
Frome, and dedicated to St. Stephen, the proto- 
martyr. It is mentioned in deeds as early as 1304, 
when it belonged to the Abbots of Glastonbury, 
who were its patrons till the dissolution, and by 
whom and the parishioners the church was rebuilt 
about the year 1465. 

It is said that in 1398, John Vyel " gave to the 
church of St. Stephen one ring, in which was set a 
stone, part of the very pillar to which Christ was 
hound at the scourging, to be kept among the relics 
for ever ! ! ! " 

62 These two districts are already assigned, ministers ap- 
pointed, and a very considerable portion of money raised for 
building these two churches. 



ST. STEPHEN. 195 

The porch is very elegantly formed by a richly 
decorated ogee canopy, presenting a groined roof 
of elaborate workmanship. 

The interior of the church is in the florid or 
perpendicular style : — it consists of three aisles 
divided by slender columns, composed of clustered 
shafts, with capitals of heads surrounded by a fillet 
or band; the arches are pointed, supporting a 
range of modern clerestory windows. The ceiling 
of the centre aisle is of oak, divided into square 
bold panels, with rich bosses. 

The pulpit is of mahogany, richly carved, and 
decorated with cherubs' heads ; the altar is of the 
like wood, adorned with eight fluted pillars, in the 
Corinthian order, and the whole church is neatly 
wainscoted. In the centre, over the communion 
table, is painted a dove, emblematical of the Holy 
Ghost ; and over the whole is a large painting, by 
Mr. Thomas Ross, of Bath, representing angels 
lifting a veil and discovering the glory of heaven. 

On removing the high oak wainscoting from 
against the north wall, when the church was re- 
pewed in the spring of 1844, three sepulchral 
recesses, formed within the substance of the wall, 
were exposed to view; the two eastermostwere plain 
and unoccupied; but that at the western end of 
the aisle contained an altar tomb, with recumbent 
effigies of a man and woman, and was enriched with 
half trefoils, and bosses of leaves starred. The 



196 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

front of the tomb was ornamented with a succession 
of shields and decorated arches, and under them 
a series of niches, containing whole-length figures. 
In the absence of all positive information respect- 
ing these effigies, we have no other resource but to 
refer to their costume, as to the period when it pre- 
vailed. The figures are habited in what was the 
prevailing dress of the higher classes in the reign 
of Edward III., and therefore could not be, as 
some have supposed, the effigies of John Ship- 
ward and his wife, who flourished in the fifteenth 
century. The figures and ornamental workmanship 
were, when first discovered, much mutilated, but are 
now repaired, and form a very interesting object. 

In progressing with their work, the workmen 
discovered another monumental effigy of a man in 
a recumbent posture, in a recess in the south wall ; 
but whom it is intended to represent, no evidence 
can be found. It is now removed near the others, 
in the north aisle. 

There are also many other monuments worthy of 
attention, but one of the principal is that to the 
memory of Sir George Snigge, Knight, at the 
eastern end of the south aisle, which possesses 
peculiar interest. He was recorder of this city 
from 1592 to 1604, and celebrated during a long 
life for his ability and integrity. He died in the 
year 1617. He is represented as reclining at full 
length in his robes of state, beneath a sculptured 



ST. STEPHEN. 197 

canopy of various devices ; — his head is supported 
by his left hand — the other contains a scroll. The 
appearance of the monument from the opposite side 
of the aisle is particularly striking. 

In the same aisle, over the vestry door, is a 
singular brass, underneath which are the following 
lines : — « 

Deceased the 5th of September, Anno Domini 1594. 

Robert Kitchen, Alderman, and bis wife, 

Lietb near this place, closed in earth and clay ; 
Their charities alike in death and life, 

TVho to the poor gave all their goods away ; 
Leaving in trust such men to act the same, 

As might in truth perform their good intent ; 
So that the poor indeed and eke in name, 

To lasting ages in this City meant, 
And other places of this City faire, 

As Kendall towne and Stockland held both have, 
"With Bath the native place of her first ayre, 

The bounties of their giftes they to them gave. 

A Chauntry was founded in this church by Ed- 
ward Blanket; and to his family, who were work- 
ers in wool, is attributed the name of that article 
of bed furniture. The porch or door-icay is now 
carefully repaired, and renewed according to the 
original design; it is a rich bit of architecture, 
and is some atonement for the spoliation of the 
tower. 

Dean Tucker was rector of this parish for many 
years. 



198 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

The tower, which is very lofty, and beautifully 
proportioned, was built at the sole expense of John 
Shipward, (mayor of this city in 1455) an eminent 
merchant, about the year 1470 : it is one hundred 
and thirty-three feet high, of a square figure, or- 
namented from the bottom upwards in the Gothic 
taste; and has been characterised by a native 
amateur, as "the fairest form ever erected by the 
taste and skill of the last Gothic school." 

In 1703, three pinnacles were blown down in a 
hurricane, and did great damage to the south aisle ; 
which the wealth and piety of our predecessors 
speedily restored, according to the ancient model. 
" But when its decay was lately ascertained, after 
repeated damage, the idea of perfect restoration 
was abandoned, (I trust for a time only) and a mu- 
tilation has taken place. Alas ! the true admirers 
of the most beautiful, because the most graceful, 
tower in England, have now to contemplate it as 
' the sun shorn of his beams.' 99€S 



TEMPLE CHURCH, 

OTHERWISE OP THE HOLY CROSS, 

Was founded in the reign of King Stephen, 
by the Knights Templars, an order instituted in 
1118, wearing a white habit, with a red cross on- 

63 William "Wyrcestre Redivivus. 



TEMPLE. 199 

the left shoulder. Though it is evident, from its 
long aisles, large windows, lofty ceiling, slender 
pillars, and spacious area, that the present church 
has been erected since that period; yet we have no 
data to determine when or by whom it was rebuilt. 
It was repaired, repewed, and an organ erected 
in 1701, at an expense of £400, towards which 
Edw. Colston gave £100, and the parishioners 
the remainder. It was also under repair in 1835. 

William Wyrcestre, in 1480, says, " The most 
beautiful church of the Temple is founded in 
honour of the Holy Cross, in the manor and street 
called Temple Street, and has great liberties and 
franchises." 

This church has a beautiful altar of curious 
workmanship; and on each side is a painting of 
Moses and Aaron, well executed ; the floor is 
neatly paved with diamond-cut stones. 

There is suspended at the entrance of the chan- 
cel a curious brass sconce, with twelve branches ; 
on the top are the Virgin and Child, and under 
them St. George killing the dragon, of very neat 
workmanship, probably used in the time of the 
Knights Templars. There is a chapel here, dedi- 
cated to St. Katherine, which was formerly used 
by the Weavers' Company, and which is the most 
ancient part of the interior of the church. Erected 
in it is a tablet stating that the chapel was given to 
that body by Edward I. in 1299. 



200 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

The tower is twenty-five feet square, about one 
hundred and fourteen feet high, without rail, pin- 
nacle, or battlement, and deviates nearly four feet 
from a perpendicular line. There are buttresses 
at each angle, and a semi-octagon turret enclosed 
by those at the south-west. 

The soil was evidently once a marsh, to which 
is attributed the sinking of one side of the tower, 
which renders its appearance quite appalling; it 
is, notwithstanding, pronounced to stand secure, 
though it has actually separated itself from the 
church. Speaking of this circumstance, a Flemish 
author, as long ago as 1576, observes, "Abraham 
Ortelius wrote me word, that himself put a stone 
of the size of a goose egg into the chink, which, as 
the bells rang, he saw himself give downwards, as 
the place was narrow or wide, and at length, by 
the frequent collision, was squeezed to pieces : and 
that when he put his back against the tower, he 
was afraid he should be oppressed by its fall. That 
the mayor and others of authority there told him 
the whole fabric of this church formerly shook and 
was like to fall, before the chink was made there, 
and with such force, that the lamps were put out 
and the oil wasted : of this there were many living 
witnesses in that parish. But the church now, 
because it is not affected by the sound of the bells, 
stands without motion." 

The ancient arms of the church were the same 



TEMPLE. 201 

as those of the Knights Templars, and of the 
Temple in London, the Holy Lamb and Cross. 
The lion and the cross at the entrance and on the 
weather-vane appear to have been blunders of the 
artist. 

In the 26th of Henry VIIL, a great controversy 
arose between the Lord Prior of St. John of Jeru- 
salem, in England, and the mayor and commonalty 
of Bristol, relating to the privilege of sanctuary in 
Temple Street, of holding a court, &c, &c, which 
was referred to the Chief Justice and Chief Baron, 
who declared that the liberty of sanctuary should 
be void. King Henry soon afterwards settled all 
disputes by the dissolution. 

Temple Meads, being part of the lands belong- 
ing to the house of the Knights Templars, were 
exempt from tithes, and are so to this day; the 
corporation holding those lands in the same man- 
ner as the religious did. 

In 1788, a remarkable character, supposed to 
possess the powers of ventriloquism, greatly duped 
the then vicar of Temple, the Rev. Mr. Easter- 
brook, with many others. The following is the 
title of a pamphlet published at the time : "A Nar- 
rative of the extraordinary case of George Lukins, 
of Yatton, Somersetshire, who was possessed of 
Evil Spirits for near eighteen years. Also an Ac- 
count of his remarkable Deliverance in the Vestry 
Room of Temple Church, in the City of Bristol. 



202 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Extracted from the Manuscripts of several persons 
who attended; with the Kev. Mr. Easterbrook's 
Letter annexed, authenticating the particulars 
which occurred at Temple Church." 

There was once an establishment of Augustine 
Friars, where the streets called the Great Gardens 
now stand, in this parish; and another religious 
house, or monastery, just within the spot where 
stood the city gate, Temple Street. 

In a wall belonging to a house in Temple Street, 
exactly opposite the church, is an obtuse-pointed 
arch, of ancient date, no doubt, from the corrosion 
of the stones of which it is composed ; but pro- 
bably not so ancient as a monument placed in the 
same wall, even with the ground, which is here 
delineated. It is asserted bv some, that this was 
the original font in Temple Church ; — but we 
should rather conjecture it was an altar, the recess 
forming the pyx, or depository of the host. It has 
suffered so much from time and the atmosphere, 
that little remains but its general form. If the 
present was its original situation, it must have 
stood in the north wall ; for which reason, and no 
other, probably, it has been pronounced to be a 
font. Why fonts should be placed on the north 
side of churches we know not, but we believe it 
is generally the case. The Templars, perhaps, 
erected their first church on this site ; — certainly 
the present church has no pretensions to the age 



ST. THOMAS. 



203 



in which they flourished — moreover, the churches 
built by them were of a circular form, in imitation 
of the church of the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem, 
as may be seen in London, Cambridge, Northamp- 
ton, &c. 




ST. THOMAS. 

This church was originally built as a chapel to 
Bedminster, and is called in deeds, as early as the 
twelfth century, by the name of the Chapel of St. 



204 crilcott's Bristol guide. 

Thomas the Martyr. It is said that the old church 
was only surpassed by St. Mary Kedcliif, for the 
elegance of its structure as a Gothic edifice. But 
in consequence of extreme age, it was obliged to 
be taken down, (except the tower) and the present 
church having been erected on its site, was opened 
for divine worship on St. Thomas's day, 1793. It 
is divided into three aisles, by square piers or 
columns supporting circular arches; the middle 
aisle has a lofty roof, adorned with richly orna- 
mented ribs, springing from projecting portions of 
the cornice, cherubs' heads being underneath. 

The altar-piece, which has been much admired, 
was painted by Mr. John King, of London. It 
represents St. Thomas making the acknowledgment 
of his belief in the resurrection and identity of 
Christ, as described in St. John, xx. 24 — 29. 

Below, on each side of the rails, placed on pedes- 
tals, are two figures carved in mahogany; and 
under the commandments, supporting three brack- 
ets, is some delicate and elaborate open carving of 
matted foliage and flowers. 

Although the Canynge family had a vault in this 
church, in which William, the grandfather, was bu- 
ried in 1398, and John, the father of the celebrated 
William, was buried in 1405, no monument or 
stone is found to record the names of so distin- 
guished individuals, 



205 



ST. WERBURGH 



Is situated in Corn Street, at the top of Small 
Street. Werburga was a Saxon saint, the daughter 
of Wulferus, King of Mercia. The original church 
is said to have been founded in 1190, and the 
tower built in 1385. The church being very old 
and much decayed, was taken down, rebuilt in the 
Gothic style, and opened in 1761. It has a very 
good freestone front, with large Gothic windows 
suitable to the tower, which was preserved, and 
only the top of it altered and repaired. On a recent 
examination of the tower, however, it was found 
much dilapidated by time, and was partially repaired. 

The interior of the church is lofty and spacious, 
and divided into three aisles by fluted Gothic pil- 
lars, supporting obtusely pointed arches, on which 
rest the roof of the church. 

A gallery at the west end has recently been 
erected, in strict architectural character with that 
of the edifice ; in which a very fine toned organ 
has been placed. The expenses of both were de- 
frayed principally by the present rector, (Rev. J. 
Hall, B. D.) and the remainder by subscriptions. 

On the right of the entrance of the north porch 
is an altar tomb, representing under a flat festoon, 
supported by marble pillars, a recumbent figure in 
his magisterial robes, of John Barker, Esq. Mayor 
and Alderman; various ornaments in the recess 



206 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

surround a tablet, on which is recorded his name, 
honours, and virtues. 

Near the above, against the wall, are two brasses ; 
on the one is a kneeling figure of Nicholas Thorn, 
with a wife on either side, and several children, 
with labels above, containing their names. He was 
a merchant of great eminence and undeviating in- 
tegrity, and terminated his career August 19, 1546, 
aged 50. On the other brass there is a male and 
female kneeling on either side a lectern, with a 
number of children behind each, also kneeling. 

There is also a monument erected to Humphrey 
Brown, merchant, who died March 22, 1630; and 
Elizabeth, his wife, daughter of G. White, of this 
city, merchant. 

Here lies a Brown — a White, the colours one. 
Pale drawn by death, here shaded by a stone ; 
One house did hold them both whilst life did last, 
One grave do hold them both now life is past. 

In the south aisle is a neat marble tablet to the 
memory of the Rev. William Tandey, M. A., who 
died March 16, 1832, aged eighty-one years. He 
was rector of the parish for thirty-two years. 

" Sunday, March 16th, 1777, I preached at St. 
Werburgh's, the first church I ever preached in 
in Bristol. I had desired my friends not to come 
thither, but to leave room for strangers. By this 
means the church was well filled, but not over- 
much crowded," — John Wesley's Journal. 



207 



(ffijapefe, &c. not ot fyt (Stttibltelmtnt. 



ROMAN CATHOLICS. 

The Roman Catholics have three places of wor- 
ship^ viz, : — 

1. In the old chapel in Trenchard Street. 64 

2. In an adjoining building to the new chapel 
now erecting opposite Meridian Place, Clifton ; and 

3. In St. Mary's Church under the Bank, St. 
Augustine's Back, which was opened and conse- 
crated by the late Bishop Baines, July 7, 1843. — 
This building is considered by competent judges 
to be a pure specimen of Grecian architecture, and 
may be ranked among the most prominent build- 
ings in this city. The entrance is by a magnificent 
portico, supported by columns upon the plan of 

64 In the vestibule of this chapel, sunk twelve feet in the 
solid rock, lie the enormous remains of Patrick Cotter, (otherwise 
O'Brien) whose stature was eight feet three inches ! exceeding 
by nine inches King Charles I.'s porter, Evans, who drew Sir 
Jeffrey Hudson out of his pocket at a court entertainment. 
O'Brien, after exhibiting himself in all parts of the kingdom, 
died at the Hotwells, Sept. 8, 1806, aged 46. He was a native 
of Kinsale, in Ireland. The idea of his bones being exposed to 
public view after his death quite horrified him, and led him to 
give the strictest injunctions to secure his body from the at- 
tempts of either avarice or curiosity. 



208 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

Diogenes' lantern, at Athens. The interior, which 
is cruciform, contains about 4000 superficial feet, 
and is capable of holding 600 persons. The 
sanctuary, which is supported by four elegant 
Corinthian columns, is situated at its north-western 
extremity, and on its right and left are the statues 
of St. Peter and St. Paul — the former holding the 
keys, the latter the sword. Over the altar is fixed 
a crucifix, with the figure of the Saviour in bur- 
nished gold, surrounded by a halo, gilt with the 
same precious metal. On the altar are placed 
twelve elegantly chased candlesticks of silver gilt ; 
and the ante pendium, or drapery covering in front, 
which was worked by the nuns of the Visitation 
Convent at Westbury, is of crimson velvet, richly 
embroidered with gold. In the centre is a Maltese 
cross ; and in the side compartments are wreaths 
of the vine and ears of wheat — typical of the bread 
and wine used in the sacrament of the mass. 
There being no galleries or enclosed pews in the 
church, its appearance is exceedingly light and 
lofty, and the novel and chaste character of the gas 
fittings harmonise well with the general style of 
the edifice. It was built by a body of Christians 
calling themselves " Members of the Holy, Catho- 
lic, and Apostolic Church," at an expense of about 
£13 3 000, and was sold to the Roman Catholics for 
£5,000. 



WESLEYAN CHAPELS. 209 

MORAVIAN CHAPEL, in Upper Maudlin 
Street, near the Infirmary, is a neat and modern 
structure. It is furnished with an excellent organ. 



THE WESLEYANS 

Have eight large chapels, besides many smaller 
ones, viz.: — 

1. Portland Street, Kingsdown, which contains 
several interesting monuments and an organ. The 
liturgy is read here. 

2. Old King Street, otherwise Ebenezer, opened 
in 1795. 

3. St. Philip's, Old Market Street, the largest 
chapel in Bristol, opened in 1816. 

4. Langton Street, near Redcliff Church, opened 
June, 1828: it has a finely-toned organ. 

5. Hotwell Eoad, opened in 1833. 

6. Shim Lane, Bedminster, opened 1836. 

7. Baptist Mills, opened in 1837. Near the spot 
on which this chapel is erected the Rev. J. Wesley 
preached his first sermon in the open air ; the stone 
on which he then stood has been used as the 
foundation of the present building. 

8. Granville Chapel, near Cumberland Basin, 
Hotwells, opened in 1840. 

The above chapels are mostly plain buildings, 
except Granville, which is erected in the Gothic 
style, and has a very church-like appearance in 
p 



210 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

the exterior. It was built by the executors of that 
benevolent man, the late Thomas Whippie, Esq.. 
of Clifton, and presented free of cost to the Wes- 
leyan Society. 



THE INDEPENDENTS 

Number ten chapels belonging to their denomina- 
tion in Bristol, viz. : — 

1. Castle Green. The origin of this congrega- 
tion may be traced back to 1670, under the ministry 
of Dr. Ichabod Chauncy. The chapel was rebuilt 
in 1815, in a handsome quadrangular form, con- 
taining accommodation for 1000 persons. The 
following is the inscription of a tablet put up 
here : — 

In Memory of 

The Rev. William Thorpe, 

The highly esteemed Pastor of this Church and Congregation 

for the period of 27 years, 

Who entered his Master's joy on the 27th day of May, 1833, 

Aged 62 years. 

During his ministry this Chapel was erected, 

and dedicated to the Triune Jehovah. 

He was an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures. 

2. Bridge Street : — a branch of the meeting for- 
merly held in Tucker Street, and originally (temp. 
Charles II.) in St. James's Back, Bristol. 

3. Zion Chapel, Bedminster, a square building 



INDEPENDENT CHAPELS. 211 

capable of containing 1200 persons, erected a few 
years since at the expense of the late J. Hare, Esq., 
of this city. 

4. Lower Castle Street, built in 1822; where 
Divine service is performed in the Welsh language 
in the morning, and in the English language in 
the afternoon. 

5. Brunswick Square, opened in 1835. 

6. Newfoundland Street, St. Paul's. 

7. Anvil Square, parish of St. Philip and Jacob. 

8. Kingsland Chapel, Dings. 

9. Highbury Chapel, built at Cotham, and 
opened for public worship on July 7, 1843. This 
chapel is built in the Gothic style of the fifteenth 
century, and is lighted by ten Gothic windows, one 
of which, over the pulpit, is of stained glass. The 
roof and all the wood work is English oak. The 
pulpit, which is of freestone, is ascended by a 
carved oak staircase, with open banisters, in perfect 
keeping with the general character of the building. 
None of the pews have doors to them; and about 
half of the seats are open ones. The chapel, with 
its gallery, is capable of accommodating 700 per- 
sons, and contains nearly four hundred free sittings. 
There is a convenient school room erected adjoin- 
ing the chapel, which is capable of holding 200 
children. The cost of the building is about £2,500, 
The land was given by Richard Ash. Esq. 



212 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

10. THE COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON'S 
CHAPEL, at the bottom of Lodge Street. The 
foundation stone of this chapel was laid in October, 
1829, and opened for public worship in Aug. 1831. 
It is noticed here because instead of using the 
liturgy as they were wont, the congregation have 
adopted the Independent form of public worship. 



THE TABERNACLE was founded by the Rev. 
George Whitefield in 1753, in Penn Street, better 
known as Tabernacle Street, Narrow Weir; and 
is now supplied by different ministers of the Inde- 
pendent connexion. The interior is appropriately 
fitted up, and contains a large and finely-toned 
organ. 



A FLOATING CHAPEL, fitted up with seats, 
pulpit, &c, for divine worship for the Seamen in 
port, is stationed at the Grove, Broad Quay. It is 
the hull of a large West Indiaman. 



THE WELSH CHAPEL is situated in Broad- 
mead. Mr. John Wesley used to preach here long 
before any of the present Wesleyan chapels were 
built. The services are now performed in the 
Welsh language. 



213 



THE BAPTISTS 

Have eight meeting houses, viz. : — 

1. The Pithay was the first Baptist chapel 
erected in Bristol, the public meetings for divine 
worship of this denomination of Christians being 
previously held in the Friars, and other places. 65 
We are told of a person being baptised here as early 
as 1652. In 1813 the congregation became so 
numerous, under the pastoral care of the late Rev. 
Thos. Roberts, 66 that a new chapel was erected in, 

65 The early meetings of this society were holden occasionally 
in the great room of the Dolphin Tavern, at a house on St. 
James's Back, one on the Tholsey, and another in Christmas 
Street, where the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was adminis- 
tered to them by a young man named Nathaniel Ingello. This 
gentleman, who was of a genteel figure, gave offence to the rigid 
notions of his communicants, by his careful attention to dress, 
and especially by his love for music ; his company being much 
in request among harmonious parties, out of the strict line of 
his flock. To a remonstrance upon this species of indulgence, 
Mr. Ingello replied, " Take away music ! take my life." He 
was selected by Bulstrode Whitelock, Cromwell's ambassador 
to Christiana of Sweden, in 1663., (who probably became ac- 
quainted with him during his recordership of Bristol, and who 
had himself been a professor of music) to be one of his two 
chaplains, and rector chori. He was fellow of Eton College, and 
became D. D. In 1660, he published a folio novel, learnedly 
allegorical, called "Bentivoglio and Urania." After the Re- 
storation, Dr. Ingello was master of the king's band. — Evans's 
Chronological Outline. 

m A tablet to the memory of this talented preacher has been 



214 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

2. Old King Street, which was opened for Di- 
vine worship in 1815; and to which the Pithay 
congregation, with their minister, then removed. 

3. Broadmead. There is a considerable pro- 
perty, chiefly in houses, belonging to this chapel, 
vested in the names of at least seven trustees. The 
interest of which is to be applied in different por- 
tions, to the two pastors of the congregation, — to 
poor members, — and to poor Baptist ministers. 
The chief pastor must understand Hebrew and 
Greek, and is the principal at the Baptist Academy 
in Stoke's Croft, where young men are prepared 
for the ministry ; and for whose expenses whilst 
there some provision is also made. 

placed under the portico in King Street Chapel, and as it 
contains some historical data we insert the inscription here : — 

Beneath the portico 

are deposited the remains of 

The Rev. THOMAS ROBERTS, A. M. 

who, after a Pastorate of 34 years, 

Departed this Life December 21, 1841, 

Aged 61. 

The Church assembling here met at its formation 

in the Friars ; 

It afterwards worshipped at the Pithay, when 

the increase of its members, 

under Mr. ROBERTS'S Ministry, 

rendered a more commodious Building requisite. 

By his exertions this edifice was erected and dedicated to the 

TRIUNE JEHOVAH, 

1815. 

" He rests from his labouis, and his works do follow him." 



friends' meeting house. 215 

4. Counterslip, at the end of Bath Street. 67 

5. Thrissel Street, near Trinity Church, West 
Street. 

6. Upper Maudlin Street, (service in Welsh) a 
modern building. 

7. Great George Street, Park Street, and St. 
Augustine's Place. These two are inserted under 
one head, being subject to the same ministers, 
rules, and regulations; two of which rules are that 
no one of the congregation pay any stipulated sum 
for his seat, or towards the ministers' maintenance ; 
the latter professing to live literally on the daily 
and hourly providence of God. 



THE FRIENDS' Meeting House is situated 
in Rosemary Street. The Society of Friends 
appears to have originated in this city in the zea- 
lous efforts of John Camm, John Audland, Edward 
Burrough, and Francis Howgill, in Sept. 1633. 

In the establishment of Quakerism in Bristol, 
no small stir was occasioned by William Rogers, 68 

67 A very large building adjoining this chapel has lately been 
erected, with a handsome frontage in the Corinthian style, 
towards Bath Street. The upper part of the building is ap- 
propriated for school rooms, class rooms, &c. with ample ac- 
commodation for 500 children. Beneath are very eligible 
warehouses, with counting-houses, &c. 

68 In a book named "The Christian Quaker distinguished 
from the Apostate and Innovator," levelled chiefly at Geo. Fox, 
containing thirteen "smiting queries," Rogers seems to have 
roused the forbearance of all the respectable members of that 



216 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

one of their own members residing here, who op- 
posed and questioned all the proceedings of the 
principal leaders of that sect. A book was pub- 
lished by him and one Ford, called "A Brief 
Relation of some Passages happening amongst the 
People called Quakers, of the City of Bristol, since 
the late coming of George Fox, George Whitehead, 
William Penn," &c. which gave great offence. He 
quarreled also with Robert Barclay. 

THE UNITARIAN CHAPEL, in Lewin's 
Mead, is a neat and commodious building, with 
columns of the Ionic order, and geometrical stairs 
to ascend the galleries. A monument to the me- 
mory of the late Rev. Lant Carpenter, LL. D., 
pastor of this congregation, containing a medallion 
likeness of the doctor, was erected here in 1842. 

THE JEWS' SYNAGOGUE, formerly the 
Friends* Meeting House in Temple Street, is a 
very unique building. It was consecrated and 
opened for public worship with great ceremony, 
August, 1842. Weavers' Hall, their former place 
of worship, in the same street, was purchased by 
means of a bazaar fund, in 1843, for a school for 
the children of the poor, in connexion wdth the 
parish church of Temple. 

body, as his book and his general conduct were severely repre- 
hended at divers places by a sort of manifesto. At this time the 
Friends assembled in Broadmead, up stairs, George Fox was 
accused by him of going down to avoid being taken into custody 
by the soldiery. 



217 



I 
BIBLE, MISSIONARY, AND OTHER 

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES. 

For the names of the Secretaries to the following Societies, the 
reader is referred to Matthews" s Bristol Directory , which is to 
be found at every Bookseller's shop. 



The Bristol Auxiliary to the British and 
Foreign Bible Society was instituted in the year 
1810, under the patronage of the Lord Bishop of 
the Diocese, at a public meeting convened at the 
Guildhall, at which the Eight Worshipful the 
Mayor presided. Its funds are expended in the 
distribution of the Holy Scriptures in the city of 
Bristol and its vicinity, and in aiding the foreign 
and general objects of the parent society. — Deposi- 
tory at Mr. Oldland's, 28, Corn Street, by whom 
subscriptions are received. 

Bristol and Clifton Naval and Military 
Bible Society. — Treasurer, Colonel Plenderleath. 

The Merchant Seamen's Bible Society, for 
the port of Bristol, was formed in 1820. Its sole 
object is to supply seamen with the Holy Scrip- 
tures without note or comment. 

The Bristol Channel Mission Society. — 
Chaplain, Bev. John Ashley, LL. D. 

Society for Promoting Christian Know- 
ledge — Bristol District. — The parent society 



218 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

was formed in 1699, of members of the Church of 
England, clergy ai|d laity. 

The Bristol Auxiliary to the Society for 
the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign 
Parts. — The parent society was formed in 1701, 
and was composed by the charter of the chief 
prelates and dignitaries of the Church of England, 
and of several peers of the realm. From the 
funds of this society, churches, schools, and other 
religious edifices, have been erected in our oriental 
dominions; and also a magnificent college at 
Hindoostan, under episcopal government, in which 
missionaries are instructed in the native languages. 
It also supports missionaries under the superin- 
tendence of the Bishops of Nova Scotia, Quebec, 
Jamaica, Calcutta, Australia, &c. 

The Prayer Book and Homily Society was 
instituted here about thirty years ago, for the pur- 
pose of distributing gratis, and circulating at reduced 
prices, both at home and abroad, the authorised 
formularies of the Church of England, in the ver- 
nacular tongue, and in foreign languages, without 
note or comment. 

Bristol Church Missionary Association is 
an auxiliary to the " London Church Missionary 
Society for Africa and the East," the object of 
which is to promulgate the doctrines and episcopal 
government of the Church of England among 
heathen nations. 



religious societies. 219 

Bristol Auxiliary to the Church Pastoral- 
Aid Society, formed Aug. 1836. The object of this 
society is to assist the clergymen of large parishes, 
by visiting the poor at their homes, reading the 
scriptures, &c. &c. and inviting them to attend the 
ordinances of religion at the church. 

Church op England Tract Society, insti- 
tuted in Bristol, 1811. — The object of this society 
is to circulate in a cheap form, among the poor 
members of the Church of England, her Homilies, 
the Lives of her Reformers and Martyrs, extracts 
from their writings, and from the publications of 
her Bishops, with such short pieces illustrative of 
the primitive history, constitution, and discipline of 
the Church, as the Committee may approve. 

The Bristol Diocesan Visiting Society was 
formed Dec. 24, 1829, for the purpose of extending, 
under the direction of the parochial clergy, addi- 
tional means of relief to the poor and sick, through- 
out the city of Bristol and adjoining parishes. 

Bristol Auxiliary Society for the relief of 
poor pious clergymen of the Established Church, 
residing in the country, instituted in 1788. 

Bristol and Clieton Association eor Pro- 
moting the Moral and Eeligious Improvement 
of Ireland, formed in 1827, for the purpose of 
aiding with its funds the Irish Society, the Scrip- 
ture Readers' Society, and the Sunday School 
Society for Ireland. 



£20 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

The Bristol Auxiliary Hibernian Society, 
in aid of the London Society, formed in 1821, for 
the establishment of schools, and the circulation of 
the scriptures in Ireland. 

Bristol Auxiliary to the Irish Evangelical 
Society, formed by the Independents. Its object 
is to spread the gospel among the Irish, by means 
of resident pastors, national itinerating teachers, 
and scripture readers. 

Bristol Auxiliary Society for Promoting 
Christianity among the Jews, formed in 1816. 

Auxiliary Bristol and Clifton Society in 
aid of the Missions of the United Brethren 
among the Heathen, begun in 1733. The 
missionaries are employed in superintending the 
religious instruction of Negroes, Esquimaux, Hot- 
tentots, Greenlanders, and others. 

Bristol Missionary Society in aid of the 
London Missionary Society, founded in 1795. — 
This branch society was instituted in 1812. The 
parent society has missionaries in the South Seas, 
Ultra Ganges, East Indies, Russia, Mediterranean, 
Africa, and the West Indies. 

The Ladies' Auxiliary Missionary Society, 
Bridge Street Chapel, was instituted May 3, 1825. 

Bristol Auxiliary Baptist Missionary So- 
ciety was formed in 1818. The parent society has 
missionary stations in the East and West Indies, 
&c. Their missionaries in the East are principally 



RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES. 221 

employed in translating, printing, and circulating 
the sacred scriptures, religious tracts, &c. ; and in 
the West they have upwards of 20,000 persons in 
connection with them, either as members or in- 
quirers. 

The Baptists have also an Itinerant Society, es- 
tablished for the purpose of preaching the gospel, 
and distributing tracts, &c. from house to house, in 
the villages contiguous to Bristol. 

Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society 
for the Bristol District, was formed in 1815, 
to augment the general fund in London. The 
parent society employs nearly four hundred mis- 
sionaries, who are stationed in the East and West 
Indies, and all the other foreign dependencies of 
this country, as well as in Western and Southern 
Africa, South Seas, France, Ireland, &c. 

The Bristol Seamen's Friend Society and 
Bethel Union was formed in 1821. Its object 
is to extend the Christian religion, improve the 
morals, and promote the general good conduct of 
British and foreign seamen. 

The Bristol Itinerant Society was instituted 
in 1811, by the Independents, for the purpose of 
establishing sabbath schools, preaching the gospel, 
and distributing religious tracts in the villages 
contiguous to Bristol. 

Bristol City and Village Mission Society, 
for the diffusion of evangelical religion through this 



CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

city and its vicinity, by opening houses for reading 
the scriptures, prayer, and occasional preaching; 
by the loan of tracts, establishment of schools, &c. 

Bristol Auxiliary Tract Society, for pro- 
moting religious knowledge, was formed in 1802. 

Scriptural Knowledge Institution, was 
formed by Henry Craik and George Miiller, for 
establishing and carrying on Day Schools, Sunday 
Schools, and Adult Schools, the circulation of the 
Scriptures, Tracts, &c. It is supported entirely 
by voluntary contributions: nearly one hundred 
and thirty destitute orphans, male and female, are 
also clothed and educated upon the same principle. 

Bristol Total Abstinence Society. — This 
society contemplates the entire removal of drunken- 
ness by inculcating the advantages of total absti- 
nence from all intoxicating liquors. Tract Depot, 
9, Narrow Wine Street. 

Bristol Auxiliary Peace Society, established 
in 1823, as an auxiliary to the London Society. 
Collector and Tract Depositary, Mr. John Ashton, 
9, Narrow Wine Street. 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS FOR JURISDICTION, 
COMMERCE, AMUSEMENT, &c. 



"The busy hum of men.' 




COUNCIL HOUSE.— The old building which 
was erected in 1704, was taken down in 1824, 
having been found inconvenient, and the present 
structure raised on its site ; which was completed 
and opened for business in the early part of 1827. 
The figure of Justice, on the top of the cornice, exe- 
cuted by our fellow townsman, E. H. Baily, It. A., 
is unquestionably very fine; ordinary folks, how- 



224 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

ever, have no notion that Justice should appear 
with her eyes unbound, and minus a pair of scales* 
On one side of the figure are the royal arms, and 
on the other the arms of the city, sculptured on a 
panel in relief. The ground floor contains the 
mayor's court and eight offices. 

A handsome freestone building has been added 
to the Council House, which is used as a common 
hall for the daily administration of justice. 



W!WG** 



NEW GUILDHALL. — The foundation stone 
of the New Guildhall, in Broad Street, was laid, 
Oct. 30, 1843, by the mayor, attended by the cor- 
poration, with their officers and policemen; the 
provincial grand master, assisted by the deputy 
provincial grand master, and other members of the 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 225 

masonic lodges, their chaplain, senior wardens, 
junior wardens, deacons, &c, &c. The ceremony- 
was divested of much of its attraction and splendour 
by the heavy, cloudy, rainy, and foggy state of the 
weather — the procession having literally to wade 
through a thick bed of mud. This splendid Gothic 
building is now finished, and is quite an ornament 
to our city, as it is an honour to the architect. 

There are three principal entrances. Within 
the centre door is a corridor, 90 feet long, 12 feet 
wide, and 45 feet high, covered with an ornamental 
oak roof. On either side is arranged the Law 
Court, Court of Request, Courts of Bankruptcy, 
and rooms for the judge, mayor, counsellors, and 
others. One of the side entrances is to the two 
Courts of Bankruptcy, and the other is for the 
public, jurymen, and witnesses. The principal 
Law Court is 56 by 30 feet, and 28 feet high, with 
an ornamental oak ceiling. The elevation towards 
Broad Street is designed in the early Tudor style ; 
it is 117 feet long, and 45 feet high; the centre 
compartment runs up 28 feet higher than the 
general height of the front. The first floor win- 
dows are deeply recessed, and have niches between 
them, containing statues and shields, viz. Edward 
III., who granted the corporation charter; Queen 
Victoria; Dunning, and Sir Michael Foster, (both 
formerly recorders of the city) and Colston and 
Whitson, benefactors. The shields in the coupled 
Q 



226 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

quatrefoil panels, over the windows of that floor, 
are sculptured with the armorial bearings of those 
who have been Lord High Stewards, and the other 
shields with those of Cabot, Penn, Camden, Sou- 
they, and other eminent men of Bristol. 

The statue of King Charles II., which adorned 
the front of our old Guildhall, is now placed in 
the interior, as well as the coats of arms that were 
in the front of the old building. 



BRIDEWELL PRISON, Bridewell Lane, for 
minor offences, and the safe keeping of criminals 
before what is called their commitment. Previously 
to the riots in 1831, the situation of the prison 
was singular enough, the common thoroughfare 
passing directly through it. It had two massive 
outward gates, which were always shut before 
midnight. But the whole of it was burnt to the 
ground during that awful crisis. A new Bridewell, 
however, is now erected, and the street widened, 
but the gates are not restored. 



THE GAOL, near Bathurst Basin, is capable of 
receiving upwards of two hundred prisoners. The 
foundation stone was laid in 1816, and completed 
in August, 1820. The turnkeys' lodge, fronting 
the river, is the entrance, on the top of which 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 227 

criminals were formerly executed. The governor's 
house is situated in the centre of four wings of the 
building, and is so arranged that he has a complete 
view of the whole of the prison yards without 
leaving his room. The whole top of the governor's 
house is appropriated for the chapel, in which 
divine service is regularly performed, by the rev. 
the ordinary, a clergyman of the Church of England. 
There is a communication between each wing and 
the chapel, by means of four neat cast-iron bridges, 
for the convenience of the prisoners' attendance. 

The cells and other apartments are heated by 
Hazard's patent heating and ventilating apparatus. 
The prisoners are arranged in ten different classes, 
each class being cut off from communication with 
the other. Those committed for felonious practices 
are compelled to wear a party-coloured dress. A 
tread-mill is erected for the purpose of raising 
water for the use of the prisoners. 

The boundary wall, which is twenty feet high, is 
built with the variegated marble from St. Vincent's 
Rocks. The governor's house and the lodge are 
built of a very dry and hard stone from Hanham 
quarry. The whole length of the building, from 
east to west, is about 358 feet. 

The expense of its erection was defrayed by 
levying a rate upon the inhabitants. 



228 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

A * J 



THE EXCHANGE 69 was built at the expense 
of the Chamber of Bristol, and cost nearly fifty 

69 Four singular tables of bronze, which formerly stood under 
the piazza of the Tolzey, are set up in front of the Exchange ; 
they are similar in design, but the one nearest All Saints' Church 
appears, from the florid ornaments of the supporting pillar, to be 
the most ancient of the four. On the garter below the surface 
of a second of these tables is this record : — "Thomas Hobson of 
Bristol made me, anno 1625. Nicholas Crisp, of London, gave 
me to this honourable city, in remembrance of God's mercy in 
Anno Domini 1625. N. C." On the ring of the surface, "Praise 
the Lord, O my soule, and forget not all his benefits. He saved 
my life from destruction and to his mercy and loving- 
kindness. Praise " The third has the following inscrip- 
tion on the ring of its surface: — "This post is the gift of Master 
Robert Kitchen, Merchant, some time Maior and Alderman of 
this city, who dec. Sept. 1, 1594." On the garter beneath: — 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. £29 

thousand pounds. The first stone was laid March 
10, 1740-1 ; on the uppermost bed of which is cut 
the following inscription : — 

Regnante Georgio II. 

Pio, Felici, Augusto 

LIBERTATIS 

ET 

REI MERCATORLE 

Domi Forisq ; 

VINDICE, 

Primarium Lapidem hujusque iEdificii 

Suffragio Civium, & JEre publico extructi 

POSUIT 

HENRICUS COMBE, Pr^tor, 

A. C. MDCCXL. 

It was finished and opened during the mayoralty 
of Sir Abraham Elton, Bart., with every demonstra- 
tion of joy; and to render the festivities as general 
as possible, the poor prisoners, confined in Newgate 
for debt, were released at the Chamber's expense. 

The architect was Mr. Wood, who published a 
descriptive pamphlet of it, containing the different 

"His executors were four of his servants," &c. On the ring of 
the surface of the fourth, which stands near the Post Office, is 
the following:— "A. D. 1631. This is the guift of Mr. White, 
of Bristoll, Merchant, brother unto Dr. Thos. White, a famous 
benefactor to this citie." On the garter round the exterior ; — 
"The church of the living God is the pillar and ground of the 
truth. — So was the work of the pillars finished." Six lines in 
verse were engraven on the centre of the table, and a shield 
with armorial bearings, which time has obliterated. 



230 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

elevations and general plan. It is a very fine quad- 
rangle, with a piazza ; the interior is now used as 
a corn market ; the merchants choosing rather to 
assemble at the Commercial Rooms. The south 
side forms one of the arcades in what is termed 
the Old Market House ; the east and west sides are 
laid out in offices, occupied by attorneys, surveyors, 
&c. It was repaired in 1796. A few of the heads 
which ornamented the festoons in front are fallen 
off. 



THE CUSTOM HOUSE, on the northern side 
of Queen Square, was destroyed by fire during the 
Bristol Riots, in October, 1831. The government 
allowed £6,700 towards rebuilding the present 
new Custom House ; which, from its internal ar- 
rangements, is much better adapted for the dispatch 
of business than the old one. 



THE OLD EXCISE OFFICE, being burnt 
by the rioters, a new one has been built on the 
same site in the first Avenue leading from Prince's 
Street to Queen Square. 



THE POST OFFICE is a sort of wing to the 
Exchange, on the west; as the Norwich Insurance 
Office is on the east. — Postmaster, Thomas Todd 
Walton, Jun., Esq. 



231 




THE COMMEECIAL ROOMS, situated nearly 
opposite the Post Office, in Corn Street, opened in 
September, 1811, are admirably convenient, and 
replete with every sort of information and accom- 
modation. The building 70 was erected by creating 
seven hundred and ten shares, at £25 each share : 
— the shareholder pays £2 2s. per annum, or has 
the privilege of nominating a non-proprietor as a 
subscriber, who pays £3 7s. yearly: — the extra 



70 Adorned in front by an Ionic portico of four columns, and 
"Britannia, Neptune, and Minerva, presented with tributes 
by the four quarters of the world,' ' beautifully sculptured in 
bas-relief, by J. G. Bubb, of London. The three figures on its 
summit represent the city of Bristol, Commerce, and Naviga- 
tion, by the same artist. 



232 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

£1 5s. being considered as the interest on the £25 
share. A visitor to the city, whose residence is 
more than six miles distant from it, may enjoy all 
the advantages of these rooms for one month, pro- 
vided he be introduced by a proprietor or his 
nominee. A committee of management is ap- 
pointed annually, on the fourth Monday in October. 
The London news and commercial papers, as 
well as those printed in the principal cities and 
towns of the United Kingdom are daily laid on the 
tables. Here also are kept correct and authentic 
lists of all foreign and coasting vessels coming in 
and clearing out from this and other ports. In the 
book room will be found the Encyclopaedia Britan- 
nica, and all the popular works of reference ; and 
also the various monthly and quarterly publica- 
tions. 



THE ARCADES extend from St. James's Bar- 
ton to Broadmead ; and were erected principally 
for the accommodation of the inhabitants of St. 
Paul, Kingsdown, &c. as affording a better medium 
of communication with the centre of the city. The 
undertaking was commenced May 27, 1824, and 
completed in June, 1825. The projectors and 
proprietors of it were Mr. John Wesley Hall, 
Captain Wrayford, R. N., and Mr. Paty. 

The Arcades are in length about 600 feet ; in 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 233 

width of the walk, 12 feet ; and for uniformity, 
lightness, and elegance, are said to surpass those 
of Bath, Cheltenham, Dublin, and London. 



THE MERCHANT VENTURERS' HALL 71 

is situated at the corner of King Street, and was 
built in the year 1701. The chief entrance is in 
Marsh Street, ascending a flight of wide steps. In 
the front of the building are three niches, the up- 
per one, over the entrance door, contains a figure 
intended for George III- ; in each of the others 
is a vase, on which are carved the merchants' 
arms. In the saloon is a half-length portrait of 

71 The Society of Merchant Venturers was incorporated in 
this city by letters patent of King Edward VI., in the sixth 
year of his reign : and afterwards confirmed by Queen Elizabeth 
and "King Charles I. They have landed property to a consider- 
able extent, for the support of almshouses and other charitable 
uses. This society now consists of the principal merchants of 
the city, who are actively engaged in promoting its commerce, 
trade, and improvement. 

The above is the only trading company which now exists out 
of twenty-three, which about a century ago had their halls, 
gowns, flags, &c, and walked in procession on public occasions; 
viz. Tailors, Weavers, Surgeons, Smiths, Hoopers, White- 
tawers, Dyers, Joiners, Wire Drawers, Cordwainers, Tanners, 
Butchers, Bakers, Innholders, Saddlers, Hatters, Turners, Pipe 
Makers, Carpenters, Halliers, Porters, Tylers, and Masons. 
The Halls in which these companies were wont to assemble 
are now converted into cooperages, exhibition rooms, bonded 
warehouses, &c. &c. 



234 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

the distinguished philanthropist, Edward Colston, 
Esq., painted by Richardson. The interior is very 
handsome. Here the Prince of Wales, afterwards 
George IV., dined, when he visited our city in 
1807. 



THE BACK HALL, in Baldwin Street, is the 
great mart for hides, leather, &c. 



MASONIC LODGES.— The Free Masons have 
two lodges in Bristol; viz. one in Bridge Street, 
most splendidly fitted up, and the other in Broad 
Street. 



THE THEATRE ROYAL, King Street.— This 
theatre, it is said, was highly eulogised by Garrick, 
on the score of its just dimensions: a prologue was 
also written by him for the opening night, which 
was repeated by Powell, May 30, 1766. The 
royal licence was obtained in 1767. 72 

It is said that plays were first publicly performed 
in this city, in a building in Tucker Street, now 
Bath Street, springing originally, perhaps, from the 
mummeries of Temple Fair : this theatre was con- 

72 In 1532, and in several succeeding years, actors, under the 
protection of noblemen, were hired by the magistrates, to ex- 
hibit in the Guildhall. — Evans' s Chronological Outline, 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 235 

verted into a meeting-house. We hear of the players 
at one time in Stoke's Croft, — at another time pro- 
faning those walls which formerly belonged to 
Lady Huntingdon's congregation, in St. Augustine's 
Place : hence they were expelled, as unfit to be 
within the precincts of the city. They then took 
refuge at Jacob's Wells, on the Clifton side of 
Brandon Hill. In that humble theatre, many of 
the great names in histrionic fame " fretted their 
hour" for very slender emolument. 

The Theatre Royal is at present very ably con- 
ducted by Mrs. M'Cready, widow of a former 
manager. 

The Theatre is open for dramatic exhibitions 
from December to May. 



THE ASSEMBLY ROOM is on the west side 
of Prince's Street. The front is built with free- 
stone, and consists of a rustic basement, which 
supports four double columns of the Corinthian 
order, over which is a pediment. Curas cithara 
tollit, is inscribed in front, which means, that music 
is a specific for care ; but the Victoria Rooms, at 
the top of Park Street, from their more eligible 
situation and spaciousness, have almost superseded 
the use of the Assembly Room for the purposes 
originally intended when it was built. 



THE BRISTOL LIBRARY is in King Street. 



236 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

In 1615, Mr. K. Redwood bequeathed a house in 
King Street, to be converted into a public library ; 
and Tobias Matthews, Archbishop of York, a na- 
tive of Bristol, contributed a number of books, " for 
the use of the aldermen and shopkeepers." 

In 1779, the Rev. A. Catcott, vicar of Temple, 
in this city, having bequeathed to this library his 
whole museum of minerals, fossils, and natural 
curiosities, with a valuable collection of books, 
a new wing of freestone was added to the original 
building for their reception. 

Arthur Broughton, M. D., one of the physicians 
to the Bristol Infirmary, (who died in Jamaica in 
1796,) gave to this library a collection of speci- 
mens in natural history, chiefly botanical, a cabinet 
of coins, and several valuable MSS. 

In addition to the above gifts and contributions, 
the annual donations and subscriptions form the 
means of perpetually increasing the number of 
books, &c, in this valuable institution. A librarian 
or his deputy is in constant attendance during 
the hours appointed by the committee. 

"We believe the price of a share in this library 
is about £10 10s. by which the party becomes a 
proprietor, if approved of by the committee ; and 
an additional annual subscription of £1 lis. Qd, 
is paid in advance. Strangers may obtain access 
on application to the committee. 



237 




THE BRISTOL INSTITUTION/ 3 "for the 

advancement of Science, Literature, and the Arts," 
at the bottom of Park Street, was commenced in 
1820; and the expense of the building defrayed 
by transferable shares of £25 each. The Institution 
was established in the spring of 1823. Every 
proprietor of the building has a right to be a mem- 
ber of the Institution, or to appoint a nominee on 
an unoccupied share, paying the annual subscrip- 
tion of two guineas. This gives access to the 

73 The beautifully sculptured figures which ornament the 
portico are, " the Arts, Sciences, and Literature, introduced by 
Apollo and Minerva to Bristol, who, seated on the Avon, re- 
ceives them under her protection, and dispenses to them re- 
wards ; — whilst Plenty unveils herself to Peace, as under the 
dominion of their happy influence." 



238 chilcott's Bristol guidb. 

reading rooms, which are supplied with the leading 
newspapers, and various foreign and English peri- 
odicals, and are open from nine in the morning till 
ten at night ; — to the museum, which is open from 
eleven till four ; — to all gratuitous lectures ; — and 
to the Philosophical and Literary Society annexed 
to the Institution. On subscribing to any course of 
lectures, a member or nominee has a privilege set 
of tickets ; and, either personally, or by letter, may 
introduce any visitors to the museum, and persons 
residing ten miles from Bristol for one month to 
the reading rooms. Strangers may also subscribe 
to the latter for six or twelve months; and, by 
a recent regulation, all individuals whether resident 
or not, may, on subscribing one guinea per annum, 
have free access to the museum, and to the scientific 
books of the Institution, with the power of intro- 
ducing their friends. This subscription also gives 
eligibility to the Philosophical and Literary Society. 

The museum is very extensive, and is held in 
high estimation by men of scientific eminence; 
yet it has been formed, with little exception, by 
the donations of specimens from public -spirited 
individuals, or by subscriptions raised for specific 
purposes. It necessarily entails, however, a heavy 
expenditure upon the Institution, to which its 
regular income is at present inadequate. 

Besides the objects of interest to the curious 
and the scientific, which are constantlv accessible, 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS- 289 

and the public meetings of the Philosophical So- 
ciety, to which admission is easy, several courses 
of lectures are delivered every session, which have 
contributed greatly to the diffusion of knowledge ; 
and there have been several admirable Exhibitions 
of Paintings, which have essentially promoted the 
taste for the fine arts in this district. 

The following sketch of the arrangement and 
leading contents of the Institution, may be useful 
to those for whom our Guide is peculiarly de- 
signed. On entering the vestibule we find a 
cast of the Laocoon, one of Diana robing, and an 
Astronomical Clock ; and, from the main entrance, 
we have the reading rooms in view before us. 
Turning to the right, we enter the hall, in which 
are Meteorological Instruments, casts of the Frieze 
of a Temple of Apollo in Arcadia, a fine cast of 
Apollo Belvidere, the Dying Gladiator, Venus 
de Medici, a beautiful marble bust of Sir Thomas 
Lawrence, P.R. A., by Baily, a cast of James Watt, 
by Chantry, &c. Opposite the door is the com- 
mittee room, in which are many illustrative 
curiosities arranged geographically, and a fine 
antique chair. Facing the staircase is the 
lecture room; beyond which, in the basement, 
are the Laboratory, the Curator's Private Room, 
the Apparatus Room, &c. At the head of the 
staircase we find a suit of Armour ; casts of the 
Busts of Byron and Campbell, by Baily ; two Ma- 



240 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

rine Models and a Mummy, from which the outer 
covering has been removed, displaying the minute- 
ness of its envelopment; Mummy Cases; a Burmese 
Hindoo Idol, &c. In the circular room, over the 
vestibule, are other Casts from a Frieze and figures 
belonging to the Egina Marbles, some antique 
Sepulchral Urns from Deverell and other Barrows, 
Botanical Collections, and scientific books of refer- 
ence for the Museum. In the great room, on the 
floor, are cases containing Recent and Fossil Shells, 
Echinodermata, Crinoidea, Fossil Fishes, and Mam- 
malia ; also a skeleton of the elephant, above this a 
skeleton of a whale, and around the walls are many 
fine specimens and casts of the extinct Saurian 
animals, skeletons of Quadrupeds, &c. In the 
Gallery are found Aquatic Birds, Preparations, 
Reptiles, Fossil Vegetables, Crustacea, Chelonia, 
&c. Casts from the Egina Marbles, possessed only 
by this and the Liverpool Institution, are in the 
gallery opposite the door, arranged as they pro- 
bably appeared in the pediments of the Temple 
of Jupiter Panhellenius. From the further side 
of the great room, on the left, we enter the 
mineral room, where there is a beautiful and 
choice collection of Minerals, of which a catalogue 
lies on the cases; a classified series of Corals, 
Sponges, and some beautiful artificial Crystals. 
Above this room, passing from the gallery, is 
the geological room, particularly designed for 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 241 

specimens illustrating the geology of the Bristol 
District: in which is also placed the Insect Cabinet, 
and two fine specimens of the recent Pentacrinus. 
From the nearest side of the great room, on the 
right, is the entrance to the zoological room, on 
the floor of which are many interesting specimens 
of the Mammalia, and of the larger Reptiles ; and 
in the Gallery, a considerable number of Birds. 
In this room is the beautiful statue of " Eve at 
the Fountain," by Baily, which is deservedly re- 
garded as one of the greatest ornaments of the 
Institution. It will be contemplated by per- 
sons of taste in different points of view; but 
that which best displays the exquisite delicacy 
and gentle reflectiveness of the countenance, as 
well as the graceful contour of the form, is from 
behind, towards the left. 



THE BRISTOL ATHENAEUM, Corn Street, 
nearly opposite the Old Bank. This institution is 
formed for the purpose of promoting moral and 
intellectual improvement, by means of libraries for 
circulation and for reference ; newspapers and pe- 
riodical publications; lectures, discussions, and 
classes, for instruction and improvement in litera- 
ture, the arts and sciences. The lectures include 
theological and political science, but not party or 
local politics, or controversial theology. There are 

R 



242 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

suitable rooms for the foregoing purposes^ and also 
for various other classes now (1846) in the course 
of formation- The necessary capital fund is to be 
raised in donations, — in ten pound transferable 
shares, — and in two pound shares, also trans- 
ferable. 

The Bristol Established Church Book Association 
and the Bristol Mechanics 9 Institution are now 
amalgamated with the Bristol Athenaeum; the 
latter taking to the libraries and other effects of the 
two institutions. 

TERMS op subscription: — 

The use of the Reading Room and Library, and a 
transferable Ticket of Admission to the ordinary 
periodical Lectures ... ... Annually... £1 1 

— . — — Half- Yearly 14 

— — — Quarterly... 8 
The use of the Reading Room and Library after Five 

o'clock in the Evening, and a transferable Ticket 

to the ordinary periodical Lectures... Annually... 10 6 

— — Half- Yearly 6 6 

— — — Quarterly... 4 

Subscribers of 5s. 6d. 9 consisting of apprentices, or minors 
under 18 years of age, are entitled to the same privileges as the 
Annual Subscribers of 10s. 6<i,, except the use of the News- 
paper Reading Room. 

Half-yearly Subscriptions commence the 1st of January, and 
the 1st of July. Quarterly Subscriptions commence the 1st of 
January, the 1st of April, the 1st of July, and the 1st of October. 

Persons desirous of becoming Members, may obtain every in- 
formation on application to the Secretary, at the Institution. 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 243 

THE BRISTOL ACADEMY FOR THE 
PROMOTION OF THE FINE ARTS. 73 — The 
immediate objects of the society are the advance- 
ment of the art of painting in oil, fresco, and water 
colours; of drawing in chalk; of the study of 
sculpture and architecture ; and also of any other 
branches of the fine arts which the committee may 
from time to time authorise. First, to encourage 
and foster native talent by the formation of a correct 
school of design, and by awarding from time to 
time, as far as the funds of the society enable 
them, prizes to students of superior merit. Se- 
condly, to furnish artists of established reputation 
with increased facilities of advantageously placing 
their works before the public for sale or inspection. 
And, thirdly, the gratification of the public by 
occasional exhibitions of ancient and modern art. 

There is an annual exhibition of pictures and 
other works of art, by the members and students 
of the Academy, which are open for public view. 
There is also an Art Union in connexion with the 
Academy. Every information may be obtained at 
the Institution, Park Street. 



There is likewise an exhibition of paintings, &c, 
in the spring of the year, at the Albert Rooms, 
College Green, to which is attached an Art Union. 

73 There is no public building for this exhibition, but funds 
are provided for erecting one. 



244 



CHILCOTT S BRISTOL GUIDE. 



BRISTOL BARRACKS. — The foundation 
stone of these barracks was laid in the parish of 
Horfield, near Bristol, June 3, 1845, by the Right 
Worshipful Deputy Provincial Grand Master, and 
the Free Masons of Bristol, by permission of Her 
Majesty's Board of Ordnance. The day was fine, 
and the ceremony was an imposing one, the mayor, 
sheriffs, corporation, and the local military authori- 
ties being in attendance, headed by the band of the 
76th regiment. The works are now (1846) speedily 
progressing towards completion. 




THE VICTORIA ROOMS, near Tyndall's 
Park Gate. — The committee selected from the 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 245 

temples of Greece models for the erection of this 
edifice, and which are adopted both in the exter- 
nal elevation of the building, and in the interior 
decorations of the rooms. 

The principal entrance is under an octa-style 
portico of Corinthian columns, with the modillion 
entablature, the tempanum of the pediment being 
enriched with sculpture ; the ascent in front is up 
a flight of steps; at the upper level of which, 
under the portico, is a carriage drive for ladies in 
tempestuous weather. 

The outer hall, in which servants are to wait, 
is 52 by 18 feet, and 22 feet high; from this hall 
the company proceed through the corridor or 
lobby, in which are the pay places and check 
taker's stand, to the vestibules, opening into the 
octagon and reception rooms, and also into the 
cloak and committee rooms. 

The octagan, which is 26 feet in diameter, and 
45 feet high, is used as an ante-room and refresh- 
ment room. The reception room is 70 feet long 
by 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high, exclusive of a 
gallery 30 feet by 10, at one end of the room. 

The large hall is 117 feet long by 55 feet wide, 
and 47 feet high. Ventilation and warmth have 
been attentively studied for the several rooms. 

In the lower or basement floor, every domestic 
and culinary office is provided on an extensive scale. 

During the year numerous concerts and public 



246 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

meetings of various societies are held here. And 
here also are held the annual exhibitions of 
the Bristol Botanical and Horticultural 
Society. 



THE BEISTOL GENERAL CEMETERY, 
Arno's Vale, within one mile of the city, on the 
Bath road, was incorporated by Act of Parliament, 
I Victoria. — Office, 12, Corn Street 

There are two chapels erected here, one for the 
use of members of the Established Church, and 
the other for Dissenters. 

CHARGES, (With an extra Fee of Us. for Interments before 2 p. m., or 
after Sunset.) On future Interments, after purchase of a Vault or 
Grave, the Fees only are payable. 

Interment Few. 

£ s. d. £ s. d. 
An Interment in Catacombs under Chapel.... 7 4 4 
In the Cemetery, a Brick Grave, in perpe- 
tuity (masonry included) 7 2 2 

None on first 
And a Private Grave, not bricked, but also in Intermeut, 

perpetuity 2 afterwards 

£1 Is. 
A Common Interment, 10s. But the above charges do not include the 
Clergy's Mortuary Fee of 10s., when payable under the Act. 

N. B. No Mourning Favours are expected at the Cemetery. 
The Company provide Shillibeer's Patent Funeral Carriage, by which the 
deceased and six friends are conveyed to the Cemetery for 15s.; and they 
direct the attention of those parties to it who would find a walking funeral 
to the Cemetery inconvenient. The Interment and use of the Carriage will 
thus amount to only £1 5s. 

The same Carriage, with Canopy, &c. can be used for more expensive 
funerals, if desired. 



247 

HOSPITALS, CHAKITIES, PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS, & ALMSHOUSES. 



" Man to man must bring relief." 



It is a fact which cannot be denied, that few 
old books can be found which mention Bristol in- 
cidentally, in which the character of its inhabitants 
is not assailed as being " sordid/' " selfish/' " ill- 
mannered," " narrow-minded/' &c. ; nevertheless 
the following are incontrovertible evidences of dis- 
interested liberality, and one may almost say, of 
overflowings of the milk of human kindness. 

The chairman of the Commission appointed to 
inquire into Charitable Trusts and Foundations, 
said, in 1824, that he believed that more money 
had been vested for benevolent purposes in Bristol 
alone than would be found in the whole empire 
of France. The following demand particular 
notice : — 

St. Peter's Hospital is situated in Peter 
Street. It is a very ancient building, and was 
originally used as a sugar house ; but in 1625 it 
was converted into a Mint (a name by which it is 
commonly designated to this day) to coin silver 
money, — and after coining £43,500,000 it ceased 
to work. In 1697 it was erected into the City 
Hospital, for the relief of the poor of the city, recep- 
tion of lunatics, &c, and continues so to this day. 



248 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Four respectable inhabitants, chosen out of each 
parish, to serve for four years in succession as 
guardians, a governor, a deputy-governor, the 
senior churchwarden of each parish, chosen an- 
nually, assisted by solicitors, manage the affairs of 
this hospital, and are denominated " The Corpora- 
tion of the Poor." The time and attention of the 
governor, deputy-governor, guardians, and church- 
wardens, are gratuitously given. 

An annual assessment is laid upon the whole 
city to provide it with funds for the employment, 
maintenance, and regulation of the poor of Bristol; 
to enable it to receive within its walls lunatics, 
superannuated persons, poor children bereft of 
their parents, &c. 74 

The Bristol Infirmary, Marlborough Street, 
was founded in the year 1735, and was opened 
under the auspice of John Elbridge, Esq., deputy- 
comptroller of his majesty's customs, who was at 
the expense of the original building; to which 
several of the adjoining houses were added after 
his death, as opportunities occurred of purchasing 
them, by John Backwell, Esq., the then mayor, 
and numerous other gentlemen, who largely con- 
tributed to its support, and who now had the 

74 The Corporation of the Poor have now possession of what 
was the French Prison at Stapleton, St. Peter's Hospital being 
inadequate to afford accommodation for more than half the 
number of poor requiring permanent relief. 



CHARITIES. 249 

management of its affairs ; but as many inconveni- 
ences arose out of this plan, the whole of the old 
structure was pulled down ; and in 1784 the first 
stone of the present central building was laid by- 
Mr. Paty, the architect, to which an eastern wing 
was added in June, 1788 : and in February 26, 
1805, a meeting of the subscribers was held for the 
purpose of considering the means of adding a new 
wing to the west of the centre, E. Protheroe, Esq. 
the then mayor, in the chair; when the sum of 
£10,602 was promptly subscribed for its completion 
and support. We must not omit the fact also, 
that the sum of £13,515 was advanced in the 
year 1797, as a voluntary contribution to meet its 
necessities. 

The annual expenditure in this institution is 
upwards of £7,000, which is contributed by yearly 
subscriptions of two and five guineas, donations, 
and interest in the public funds arising from various 
bequests. 75 It has accommodations for more than 
two hundred in-patients, and the average number 
received in twelve months is upwards of two thou- 
sand ; whilst at least seven thousand four hundred 
out-patients receive assistance in advice and medi- 
cines gratuitously. 

The building contains an operation room, hot 
and cold baths, an extensive and very valuable 

75 Thirty guineas contributed at one time constitute a trustee 
for life. 



250 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

museum, (contributed by the late Mr. Richard 
Smith, the senior surgeon) a lecture room, and 
library. The wards are spacious and well venti- 
lated ; and great attention is paid to the cleanliness 
and comfort of the patients. 

The charity is governed by four quarterly boards, 
and the details by a weekly committee, consisting 
of thirty subscribers ; to whom are added the 
treasurer, one physician, and one surgeon, who 
are members ex officio. Two house visitors inspect 
the whole establishment in every department, and 
enter their report in a book which is placed before 
the committee weekly. 

The ordinary days of admission, by a recom- 
mendatory note of a subscriber, are Mondays 
and Thursdays, at twelve o'clock; but casualties 
and all cases of emergency are taken in immedi- 
ately, night or day, without any note of recom- 
mendation. 

The officers of this establishment are a treasurer, 
four physicians, five surgeons, a resident apothe- 
cary, a matron, secretary, and a chaplain. 

Bristol Dispensary. — This institution has now 
been established sixty-nine years. Its object is to 
assist poor lying-in married women, and the poor 
of both sexes, labouring under the pressure of 
pain and sickness, with professional advice and 
medicines at their own residences. The total 
number of sick patients visited since its institution 



CHARITIES. 251 

in 1775, is 98,031; and of midwifery patients, in 
sixty-seven years, 26,125. There are two apothe- 
caries appointed to this institution ; one resides in 
North Street, and the other in Queen Square. 
Every annual subscriber of one guinea is entitled 
to four notes for sick, and one for midwifery pa- 
tients. For each note given to the apothecary, the 
patient has six weeks' gratuitous attendance and 
medicine, if necessary. 

A Dispensary for similar objects has been 
established for the parish of Clifton, in Dowry 
Square, Hotwells. 

Bristol General Hospital, Guinea Street, 
established in 1832. In this asylum for the sick 
and lame poor, a separate ward is provided for the 
reception of females (servants and others) specially 
recommended, who may be willing to pay a small 
weekly stipend for their board: this is distinguished 
by the name of the stipendiary ward. 

Another feature of this valuable institution is a 
self-supporting dispensary, the purpose of which 
is to afford relief to the poor when suffering from 
disease or accident, and at the same time to pro- 
mote a spirit of independence among the labouring 
classes ; who though unable adequately to remu- 
nerate a medical attendant, may yet feel a repug- 
nance to eleemosynary aid, and therefore fail to 
procure that prompt assistance on which the pre- 
servation of life so often depends ; but which, at 



252 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

the lowest possible cost, the self-supporting dis- 
pensary is designed to place within their reach. 

Nearly four hundred in-patients are received 
annually in this institution, whilst about three 
thousand out-patients receive advice and medi- 
cines. It is supported by subscriptions and 
donations. 

The Strangers' Friend Society was formed 
in the year 1786, for the purpose of relieving sick 
and distressed persons at their own homes. The 
members of this society are very active, and their 
labours are an honour to human nature. Cast-off 
clothes for men, women, and children, are received, 
and bestowed on the necessitous poor. — Treasurer, 
J. S. Harford, Esq. 

The Friend-in-Need Society is similar in its 
object to the Strangers 5 Friend Society. — Treasurer, 
Mr. W. D. Wills. 

The Lying-in Institution, for assisting im- 
mediately poor lying-in women, whether natives 
or strangers. It is supported by annual subscrip- 
tions of five shillings and upwards. 

Dorcas Society, for relieving poor women 
when lying-in, by the loan of necessaries during 
their confinement; and for bestowing wearing 
apparel to other distressed females. — Secretary, 
Mrs. Roper, Royal Fort. 

St. Philip's Dorcas Society, for the benefit of 
poor lying-in women belonging to the parish. It 



CHARITIES. 258 

is conducted by a committee of ladies. — Treasurer, 
Mrs. S. E. Day. 

Female Misericordia, also for the relief of sick 
and lying-in women, was instituted in 1800. 

Institution for Diseases of the Eyes, Lower 
Maudlin Street. This institution was formed in 
1810, under the patronage of their Royal High- 
nesses the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, 
Since its formation, upwards of 19,700 persons have 
been relieved. Its object is to afford advice and 
medicine gratuitously to all poor people who apply 
for relief. 

There is also a similar Dispensary in Frogmore 
Street, where upwards of 38,000 individuals have 
been cured or relieved. It was founded by J. B. 
Estlin, Esq., the present surgeon to it, in 1812. 
Attendance at one o'clock on Wednesday, and at 
nine o'clock on Sunday morning. This institution 
is also supported by annual subscriptions and do- 
nations. 

Asylum, or School of Industry for the 
Blind, at the top of Park Street, where a spacious 
building, with an episcopal chapel attached, is 
erected, was instituted in 1793 — incorporated in 
1832. The objects of this charity, males and 
females, who are received from all parts of the 
kingdom, are employed chiefly in making baskets. 
Surprisingly cheerful they generally are, and to 
witness them at work is very interesting. Candi- 



254 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

dates for admission must in all cases be recom- 
mended by a life member or an annual subscriber, 
who will furnish the friends of the applicant, or 
the officers of the parish in which he or she resides, 
with a series of printed questions, to which answers 
must be returned before admission. Half a year 
in advance must in every instance be paid to the 
institution, from the day the applicant is received, 
and security given that each succeeding half year's 
pay shall always be remitted in advance. Strangers 
are admitted to see the Asylum on Mondays, Wed- 
nesdays, and Thursdays, from eleven to twelve 
o'clock in the forenoon, and from two to four 
o'clock in the afternoon. They are requested not 
to make any remaks upon the personal appearance 
of the pupils in their hearing, nor to offer money 
to any pupil or servant of the institution. Boxes 
are provided for receiving any contributions, to be 
distributed as rewards to the pupils : also a book, 
for entering any donation or annual subscription 
which visitors may be disposed to give to the insti- 
tution. The pupils assemble in the Music Room 
every Monday afternoon, at three o'clock, for the 
performance of Sacred Music, to whicl} visitors are 
admitted. 

The Bristol Deaf and Dumb Institution, 
Park Eow, opposite Lodge Street, was formed 
here in 1841, for the Instruction of Deaf and Dumb 
Children, of both sexes, and of all ranks and con- 



CHARITIES. 255 

ditions of life, from seven years of age and upwards. 
The benefits of the institution are open to persons 
residing in the counties of Somerset, Gloucester, 
Wilts, Hereford, Monmouth, and the southern 
division of South Wales. 

Terms of Admission. 

Private Pupils £50 per Annum. 

Middle ditto 20 „ 

Poorer Classes of ditto 10 „ 

Day Pupils received gratuitously. 

The Humane Society, for the recovery of 
persons apparently drowned, or from any other 
species of suffocation. Its benefits are extended 
ten miles round the city. There are several stations 
near the Quay, where assistance may be immedi- 
ately obtained. 

Bristol Female Penitentiary, Upper Maud- 
lin Street, was opened in 1800, for the purpose 
of receiving those unhappy females who have 
departed from the paths of virtue, and wish to 
retrieve their lost character. They are employed 
in needle work, &c, till restored to the station in 
society which they had lost. — Secretary, Mr. D. 
Vickery, 5, Bedford Place. 

Befuge Society, 6, Lower Castle Street, was 
formed in 1814. It has the same object as the 
Penitentiary. 

The, Guardian House, Upper Maudlin Street, 
for the safety of poor destitute girls (who often 



256 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

incur great risk of character by being compelled to 
take shelter in low lodging houses) and instructing 
and qualifying them for servitude, until situations 
are provided for them. Conducted by a committee 
of ladies. — Collector, Mr. Whereat, Bookseller. 

Bristol Servants' Home and Kegistry, 22, 
Maudlin Street. — Young women are admitted into 
this excellent institution in cases of emergency, the 
charge for lodgings being 3d. per night. One 
shilling is charged for registration. 

Asylum eor Orphan Girl&, at Hook's Mills, 
a small distance out of town. This very interesting 
establishment, formed in 1795, is supported by 
voluntary contributions, and contains upwards of 
forty fatherless and motherless female children, 
who are clothed, boarded, and instructed in read- 
ing, writing, plain needle-work, and every kind of 
domestic employment ; thus qualifying them for 
the useful occupations of servants, &c. in future life. 
In a chapel adjoining, divine service is performed 
on Sunday mornings, by the chaplain, a clergyman 
of the Church of England ; and from the first of 
May to the twenty-ninth of September, there is 
also an evening service. We strongly recommend 
a visit to this very interesting establishment by the 
charitable and humane, as we understand that the 
funds are far from being abundant. 

The National Benevolent Institution was 
founded by the late P. Herve, Esq., (Bristol Dis- 



CHARITIES. 257 

trict) for the relief of distressed persons in the 
middle ranks of life, of whatever country or creed. 
Donations and subscriptions are received by Messrs. 
Miles, Harford, and Co., Bankers. 

The Prudent Man's Friend Society was 
established in 1812, for the promotion of economy, 
by the loan of sums of money, on security, without 
interest; the principal being returned in small 
weekly payments. The directors of this society 
also patronise the Savings Bank, where applica- 
tion must be made on Monday mornings, from ten 
to twelve o'clock. 

The Bristol Flannel Clothing Society was 
established for the distribution of warm clothing 
to the poor of Bristol, Clifton, &c. 

The Bristol Samaritan Society was insti- 
tuted in 1807. Its object is to assist the poor and 
the wretched from sinking under the pressure of 
temporal distress and affliction. 

Reynolds's Commemoration Society. — Rich- 
ard Reynolds, one of the Society of Friends, being 
possessed of very ample means, was in the habit of 
dispersing very large sums annually in this city to 
deserving objects, in the most private and unosten- 
tatious manner. At the time of his death it was 
discovered how great a stream of bounty was likely 
to be suddenly dried up, unless the compassionate 
of all classes stepped forward to prevent so distress- 
ing an event. A general meeting of the inhabitants 



258 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

was therefore convened at the Guildhall, Oct. 2, 
1816, (J. Haythorne, Esq., the then mayor, in the 
chair,) when subscriptions were entered into and 
the above charitable institution was formed. 

Mary Ann Peloquin, in 1779, gave to the cor- 
poration, in trust, £300, the interest, 76 £5 to the 
rector and £2 to the curate of St. Stephen's, for ser- 
vice and a sermon on the 25th of December, the 
remainder to the clerk and the sexton; — £15,200, 
the interest to thirty-eight poor men and thirty- 
eight poor women, housekeepers of Bristol; — 
£2,500, the interest to poor lying-in women, 
£1 10s. each; — £1,000, the interest to twenty 
poor single women or widows, and ten poor men 
of St. Stephen's, upon St. Stephen's day yearly. 
She also left her house in Prince's Street, for the 
perpetual residence of the rector of St. Stephen's. 77 

The Grateful Society, The Anchor 
Society, and The Dolphin Society, were 
instituted for the purpose of commemorating and 
imitating the bright example of our great benefac- 

76 This money was held by the late Corporation, and the in- 
terest was then reckoned at three per cent. The principal 
money has been invested by the Charity Trustees in the Go- 
vernment Three per Cents, which has increasedrthe revenue of 
the charity. 

77 For the other benefactions we must refer the reader to 
twelve quarto pages, closely printed in Barrett's History of 
Bristol, beginning at p. 612; and to The Bristol Charities, printed 
and published by T. J. Manchee, Bristol, in 2 vols. 4to. 



CHARITIES. 259 

tor, Edward Colston, Esq. On the thirteenth of 
November, the anniversary of his death, these 
several societies, which may be said to comprise 
almost every person of respectability in the city, 
assemble to hear divine service, — dine, — and af- 
terwards largely contribute to further their great 
exemplar's dearest object, — to clothe the naked, 
protect the fatherless, and make the widow's heart 
to sing for joy. 

Those gentlemen who have received their educa- 
tion at the school in St. Augustine's Place, generally 
frequent " the GratefuL" 

The Clergy Society was originally formed 
in 1692, for apprenticing the sons of necessitous 
clergymen. But as soon as the funds became 
available, the benefits of this society were extended 
to those clergymen whose income does not exceed 
£30 per annum, as well as to their widows and 
daughters. Every applicant for the benefits arising 
out of this society, must be recommended by one 
subscriber at least. The annual meeting is held 
about September, when the society attend divine 
service at the Cathedral, and afterwards dine at 
the White Lion. Collections are made at the 
church and after dinner, which are generally very 
considerable. 

The Gloucestershire Society, instituted in 
1657, for the purpose of searching out and appren- 
ticing poor boys, whose fathers are natives of 



260 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

Gloucestershire. The members of this society, 
who rank among the most respectable in this city 
and neighbourhood, meet annually in September, 
attend divine service, and afterwards dine at the 
White Lion, when collections are made for it. 

There is a Society of Captains of this Port, 
who have a fund for the maintenance of the widows 
of its members. This society increases in numbers 
and opulence. 

There is a Society for the reward and encou- 
ragement of Female Servants. 



PUBLIC SCHOOLS, &c. 

Bristol Clerical Education Society. In 
December, 1795, a society, consisting of clergymen 
of the Church of England, was instituted in Bristol, 
for the purpose of educating serious young men 
belonging to her communion, for the ministry of 
the gospel. The qualifications necessary to par- 
take of its benefits are: — 1. That the applicant be 
convinced of the truth and importance of the 
gospel, as expressed in the liturgy, articles, and 
homilies, of the Church of England. 2. That he 
is truly attached to episcopacy, and the discipline 
of the Church of England. 3. That he is possessed 
of such natural talents, as may render him capable 



SCHOOLS. 261 

of reaping the benefits of a literary education. — 
Secretary, the Rev. J. Hall, B. D. 

Bishop's College, top of Park Street. — The 
object of this institution is to offer to the youth of 
Bristol and the surrounding counties, an education 
of the highest order, both classical and mathema- 
tical, based, as all good education must be, on defi- 
nite and acknowledged principles of true religion. 

In its general outline it has been founded on the 
model of the King's College School, London, with 
sueh variations only as the difference of circum- 
stances appeared to render necessary. 

The affairs of the College are conducted by a 
council, consisting of seven governors, who are 
members by virtue of their offices and dignities, 
and four clergymen and four laymen appointed by 
the proprietors. 

Its discipline is under the exclusive conduct of 
the head master, who is subject only (in this re- 
spect) to the visitatorial authority of the Bishop. 

The course of education comprises — religious 
and moral instruction, in strict conformity with the 
principles of the Church of England ; the Greek, 
Latin, and French languages, mathematics, writing 
and arithmetic, book-keeping, &c, history, geo- 
graphy, and English literature. 

The age of admission is from nine to sixteen. 

The business of each day commences and termi- 
nates with prayer and the reading of the scriptures. 



CHILCOTT S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

The vacations consist of six weeks in summer, 
five in winter, and one at Easter, after which pupils 
are expected to return punctually. 

The terms for the course of tuition specified are 
£15 annually for students nominated by proprie- 
tors^ and £24 to those not so nominated. 

The right of nomination is the exclusive pri- 
vilege of proprietors of shares, and every proprie- 
tor is entitled to nominate, from time to time, one 
student upon each of his shares. 

Shares are transferable to persons of whom the 
council approve, but the right of nomination, in- 
dependently of the share, is not saleable. 

The edifice (in the erection of which no expense 
was spared) is capable of accommodating, by day, 
upwards of 200 students. Behind it is a spacious 
play-ground, and its situation is both convenient 
and healthy. 

The head and assistant masters receive boarders 
into their houses, on terms approved by the council. 

The Bristol Education Society was estab- 
lished in 1770, for the education of pious young 
men for the exercise of the Christian ministry in 
the Baptist denomination. Their present academy 
is in Stoke's Croft, having attached to it a most 
valuable library and museum; in which, among the 
various objects of interest, are to be found authentic 
models of many idols of heathen worship. Access 
to the museum is easily obtained. 



schools. 263 

The Free Grammar School, in Unity Street, 
College Green, was founded by Robert Thorne, 
merchant, who in 1532 left £1,000, to be employed 
by his executors " as might seem best for his soulP 
The corporation, by letters patent of Henry VIII., 
were empowered to establish a Grammar School, 
and receive for its support the houses and lands 
appertaining to the dissolved hospital of St. Bar- 
tholomew; that is, the corporation, for this £1,000, 
purchased the hospital lands of King Henry VIII. 
By the foundation-deed the school was stated to be 
" for the better education and bringing up of child- 
ren and others, who will resort thither, to the 
honour of God, and the advancement of the city." 
The two masters were to be clergymen of the 
Church of England. There are two fellowships of 
thirty pounds a year each, at St. John's, Oxford ; 
two exhibitions of ten pounds a year each ; two 
others of six pounds, and one of five pounds. 

On the return of the corporation from attending 
divine service at the Cathedral, on the fifth of 
November, it was annually the custom for one of 
the boys in this school to deliver a Latin oration 
before them in the Guildhall, for which the mayor 
generally made him a valuable present in books. 

The property belonging to this school had been 
for nearly two hundred years alienated from the 
charity, under some alleged arrangement with 
Alice Pykes, a descendant of the founder. The 



264 CHILCOTT'S BRISTOL GUIDE. 

Charity Trustees, under the sanction of the Court 
of Chancery, have effected an arrangement with 
the corporation of the city, by which the whole of 
the property belonging to this excellent institution 
has been restored to it ; and we may shortly hope 
to see the school, which has been many years 
without a single scholar, re-established, and placed 
in a more flourishing condition than it has ever yet 
known. 

The College Grammar School, in Lower 
College Green, was founded by King Henry VII. , 
for educating the singing boys at the Cathedral. 
Under the superintendence of the master, but in 
a distinct portion of the house, — 

The Bristol Diocesan and Cathedral Mid- 
dle Day School has lately been formed, for the 
purpose of furnishing the children of the middle 
classes with a liberal education, on Church of 
England principles, at a cheap rate, viz. — for boys 
under ten years of age, four guineas per annum, 
and from ten years and upwards, six guineas per 
annum. 

Queen Elizabeth's Free Grammar School. 
— Queen Elizabeth, in the 13th year of her reign, 
ordained that a grammar and writing school should 
be held at the east-end of Redcliff Church, with 
one master and an under master, for the education 
of boys ; and that this purpose might be the better 
effected, twelve governors were constituted a body 



SCHOOLS. 265 

corporate, with power to choose their successors, 
have a common seal, make rules, &c, with the con- 
sent of the mayor of Bristol, for the government of 
the foundation. 

Queen Elizabeth's Hospital was instituted in 
1586, by John Carr, (a gentleman of Bristol,) for 
bringing up poor children and orphans of the city, 
and of the manor of Congresbury. The corpora- 
tion were made perpetual governors of this found- 
ation; but, under the Municipal Corporation 
Amendment Act, this school also was placed under 
the administration of the Charity Trustees. Under 
their care the finances of the charity have been 
considerably improved, an alleged debt of upwards 
of seventeen thousand pounds has been cancelled, 
the number of boys has been increased from thirty- 
eight to one hundred; and instead of reading, 
writing, and the simple rudiments of arithmetic, 
the education has been assimilated, as the founder 
directed, to that of Christ's Hospital, in London, 
and the boys are well grounded in mathematical 
and classical knowledge. The school is kept in 
what was formerly the Grammar school, in Christ- 
mas Street, and anciently known by the name of the 
hospital of St. Bartholomew. A very large and 
handsome building, in the Gothic style, is rapidly 
approaching completion, on the western slope of 
Brandon Hill, facing Clifton, for the reception of 
the boys in this school. The site occupies about 



266 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

four acres, and the building stands about twenty- 
eight feet above the level of the road, raised upon 
a terrace extending along the main front, to which 
there is an ascent in the centre by a flight of forty 
steps. The Charity Trustees, who are the managers 
of this school, calculate that their means will enable 
them to receive two hundred boys into this esta- 
blishment when it is fit to be inhabited. 

Colston's Free School. — In 1708, Edward 
Colston, by indenture, granted certain manors, 
lands, and messuages, for the support of a school, 
established by him in St. Augustine's Place. The 
nomination to vacancies was given to the Merchant 
Adventurers, and to his own executors ; and after 
the death of his executors, half to the merchants, 
and half to persons named by himself. One hun- 
dred boys are here boarded, clothed, and educated, 
for seven years ; after which they are apprenticed, 
with £15 each as premium for their master; viz. 
£10 from the founder, and £5 additional, be- 
queathed by the will of J. Purrier, merchant, of 
London. 

Chatterton was brought up in this school. 

In the two last mentioned schools, the boys wear 
a similar garb to that which is worn by the boys 
at Christ Church Hospital, in London. 

Temple Street School. — In 1711, the present 
school and dwelling house were erected and en- 
dowed by Edward Colston, Esq., by an annuity 



schools. 267 

of £80, charged on the manor of Toomer, in the 
parish of Hensbridge, in Somersetshire. With 
this sum thirty boys are clothed and instructed ; 
leaving a balance in hand of £3 13s. 6d. when the 
commissioners for inspecting the public charities of 
the city made their report in 1824. 

The Merchants' Hall School, King Street, 
for educating forty boys. The master is not bound 
to teach navigation to more than ten, nor do the 
society supply charts, instruments, and navigation 
books, for more than that number. There is no 
restriction as to the age of admission. 

Red Maids' School, in Denmark Street, endowed 
by Alderman Whitson, 78 in 1627, for the clothing, 

78 Alderman Whitson was one of the greatest benefactors 
to this city. Besides the above, he gave £52 to be distri- 
buted yearly among fifty-tico poor honest married women in 
child-bed, twenty of whom are appropriated by the mayoress 
for the time being, and thirty-two by the Charity Trustees ; to 
the Merchants' Alms House £26 yearly ; to the schoolmaster of 
Queen Elizabeth's Free Grammar School, held at the east-end of 
RedelifT Church, £9 2s. 6d. yearly ; £500 to be lent out to free 
burgesses, in sums of £50 and £20, for seven years ; £20 for 
exhibitions at the University to two scholars educated at the 
Grammar School ; and £ 1 each to one hundred and four poor 
men, housekeepers, and 10s. each to fifty-six poor widows ; 
with many other smaller donations. 

The day of his birth being November 19, and the same on 
which he providentially escaped from the hand of an assassin, 
is yearly observed, agreeably to the strict injunction of his will. 
On that day the Charity Trustees assemble and read his will, 
they then meet the children at St. Nicholas' Church, when 
they hear a sermon appropriate to the day ; and if a dinner 
follows it is always at the expense of the Trustees themselves. 



268 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

education, and maintenance of 40 girls, from the 
age of eight, the time of their admittance into the 
school, till they are eighteen years of age. They 
were to be religiously instructed according to the 
doctrines and discipline of the Church of England. 
The girls are clothed in red cloth. The increased 
value of these estates has enabled the Charity Trus- 
tees, under whose administration this school now 
is, to increase the number of children to one hun- 
dred and twenty girls, with four mistresses to 
superintend the establishment. The girls are em- 
ployed in needle-work for such of the citizens as 
choose to employ them, and their work has been 
much admired. 

The new building in Denmark Street for the 
Red Maids, which cost about £6,000, is as credit- 
able to the judgment and taste of the Charity 
Trustees, as it is ornamental to our city, whether 
the situation, architectural design, or the interior 
economy be considered. The frontage in Denmark 
Street is of freestone, and in the Elizabethan style. 
The back, which forms a quadrangle inclosing a 
large and open court yard, is of red brick, except 
the windows, which are of freestone, with an 
arcade on one side for the girls in wet weather. 

A large school-room, dining-room, and all the 
domestic offices are on the ground floor. Above 
are two large dormitories or sleeping rooms for the 
girls, each containing sixty beds ; besides several 



schools. 269 

smaller ones, some of which are for the accommo- 
dation of those children who may be ill. The 
mistresses' apartments, above and below, are so 
arranged that they have a complete view of the 
entire establishment at all times. The house is 
heated by a warm-water apparatus. 

Temple School for Girls. — This school was 
supported by voluntary contributions till 1798, 
when, from donations and legacies, further sub- 
scriptions were rendered unnecessary. The present 
house and school were built in 1797. Forty girls 
are here entirely boarded and educated. No girl 
is admitted under seven, nor above eleven years 
of age. 

Elbridge's Charity School, St. Michael's 
Hill, was instituted in 1738. Thirty girls are here 
taught to read and write. The rector of St. Mi- 
chael's has the entire management of this school. 

Marine School, King Street, lately established 
by the Merchant Venturers' Society, for instructing 
the youths of the city in the knowledge of naviga- 
tion, free of any expense whatever to the pupils. 
Days of attendance Mondays, Wednesdays, and 
Fridays, from 9 o'clock, A. m., to 1 o'clock, p. m. 

Blue Coat Girls School on Eedcliff Hill. — 
Twenty-four girls are educated here in the princi- 
ples of the Church of England, and in reading 
and needle-work. The mayor and his lady visit 
this school in the autumn of every year. 



270 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

Bristol Adult School Society. — In the course 
of thirty-seven years, upwards of four thousand 
learners have been brought forward from a state of 
ignorance to peruse the New Testament, much to 
the satisfaction of the society. No preference is 
given to any religious sect or party. 

Bristol Diocesan School, Nelson Street, for 
the education of the children of the poor in the prin- 
ciples of the Established Church. This building, 
erected for the especial purpose, is very spacious, 
and well attended. 

Royal Lancasterian School, Redcross Street. 
— Some hundreds daily receive their education 
here, in a large building raised for the purpose. 
It is supported by annual subscriptions. 

The Marine School Society, Queen Square, 
for the instruction of the sons of seamen, and other 
boys designed for the marine service. 

St. Augustine's Charity School, adjoining 
St. Augustine's Church, was founded in 1713, for 
clothing and educating twenty-five boys and twenty- 
five girls. It is supported by voluntary subscrip- 
tions and donations. 

Benevolent School, St. James's Barton. — No 
less than four hundred poor boys and girls are 
here daily taught reading, writing, &c, and many 
of them clothed. 

The Hannah More Schools, Trinity District, 
St. Philip's. — This establishment consists of daily 



SCHOOLS. 271 

and Sunday schools for boys and girls, and an 
infant school ; all conducted on the principles of 
the Church of England. It is not merely a local 
institution, but also a public monument; being 
designed to do honour to the memory of Mrs. 
Hannah More, who was so distinguished a pro- 
moter of scriptural instruction, and also a munificent 
benefactress of the church of Holy Trinity, with 
which these schools are connected. 

Wesleyan Methodist Charity School, for 
educating and clothing 30 girls, Duke Street, St. 
James's. 

Unitarian Charity School, Stoke's Croft, 
instituted in 1726. Thirty boys are here taught 
reading, writing, and arithmetic. 

Counterslip Sabbath and Bristol Day 
Schools, open to all denominations of Christians. 
This building is said to be of the Corinthian order, 
but it is anything but Corinthian in style. It adjoins 
the Baptist chapel, leading to St. Philip's bridge. 
The facade consists of five inter-columns, (formed 
by four attached columns and two antse) containing 
three tiers of windows; viz. ground floor with 
dressings; oblong mezzanine over them; and a 
third row of arched windows, which are very large 
in proportion to the lower ones, but which are left 
quite plain. The three middle inter-columns are 
treated as a centre compartment of the elevation, 
the pediment extending only over them, and 



212 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

there being a break accordingly in the entablature. 
It may appear remarkable to the stranger, that the 
ground and mezzanine floors are occupied as corn 
warehouses, and only the upper part of the 
building is used as a school. The foundation stone 
was laid April 5, and opened October 2, 1844. 

St. Michael's National Charity School, 
Salmon Street, Kingsdown, was re-established in 
1828. This school is under the management of a 
committee, consisting of the minister of the parish, 
the trustees and treasurer of the school/; and the 
churchwardens for the time being. The treasurer 
and other members of the committee are elected 
yearly, from annual subscribers of one guinea each. 

There is an Infant School, one hundred in num- 
ber, in the Old Park, St. Michael's parish, conducted 
by Mr. and Mrs. Sladen, in a new building erected 
for the purpose. The school is supported by volun- 
tary contributions, &c. 

Pile Street School, instituted in 1710, for 
clothing and educating forty poor boys of St. Mary 
RedcliiF, and of St. Thomas. It is under the con- 
trol of the vicar and twelve parishioners of St. 
Mary Eedcliff, and sixteen parishioners of St. 
Thomas. 

The Infant School, Tower Street, Great Gar- 
dens, was founded by the late Mr. Hare, of Bristol; 
the age of admittance is from eighteen months to 



ALMS HOUSES. 273 

six years. There are about two hundred children 
in this school. Similar schools are established in 
several other parishes. 

The Sunday Schools, in connexion with the 
established church and among the dissenters, are 
almost innumerable. In the Wesleyan Sunday- 
Schools alone, it is computed that between three 
and four thousand children attend for instruction. 

Bristol Auxiliary to the London Hiber- 
nian School Society, for the establishment of 
schools and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures 
in Ireland, was formed in 1806. 

Bristol Auxiliary to the Newfoundland 
and British North America School Society, 
was formed in Bristol December 1, 1829. 



ALMS HOUSES. 

Merchants' Hospital, King Street, for nine- 
teen seamen and twelve seamen's widows: besides 
other perquisites they each receive three shillings 
weekly ; the oldest receives five shillings. 

Fronting the entrance from the street, are the 
following lines : — 

" Free from all storms, the tempest, and the rage 
Of billows, we securely spend our age : 
Our weather-beaten vessels here repair, — 
Have from the generous merchants and their care 



274 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

An harbouring here ; we put no more to sea 
Until we launch into eternity. 
But lest our widows, which we leave behind, 
Should want relief, they here a shelter find ; 
Thus all our anxious cares and sorrows cease, 
"Whilst our kind founders turn our toils to ease ; 
May they be with an endless sabbath blest, 
Who have afforded unto us this rest." 

On this spot formerly stood a chapel, dedicated 
to St. Clement ; to which a priest and twelve poor 
mariners were appointed to pray daily; for the 
support of which chapel four-pence per ton on all 
goods imported was exacted. As the refusal of 
payment of this fine was attended with additional 
penalties, for the mayor's advantage, some have 
imagined that from hence have arisen what were 
called the Mayor's Dues. 

Colston's Alms House, St. Michael's Hill, 
built in 1691. The front and two sides are of 
freestone. The centre is a chapel, neatly adorned, 
and the two sides contain twenty-four apartments, 
for twelve men and twelve women. The oldest 
brother receives six shillings, and the others four 
shillings weekly; and each has twelve sacks of 
coal yearly, and various other donations. The 
clergyman who reads prayers here twice a day, 
receives £20 a year. 

Dr. Thomas White's Hospital, Temple Street, 
for eight men and sixteen women ; each of whom 
are allowed five shillings per week. The front of 



ALMS HOUSES. 275 

this hospital has been erected anew, in a very 
handsome Gothic manner, including the spot where 
Neptune 79 for so many years braved all weathers. 

The Work House or the Friends, in New 
Street, St. Philip's, is a large establishment. 

Two Trinity Hospitals, — one at the Dial, 
Old Market Street, for twenty-two widowers above 
fifty years of age, each receiving weekly four 
shillings : — and the other on the opposite side of 
the way for twenty-four women, who are allowed 
weekly four shillings each, beside coal, &c, 

Foster's Alms House, Steep Street, for seven 
men and seven women, who have each four shillings 
per week, and other liberal donations. 

Strangers' or St. John's Alms House, St. 
John's Steps, for thirteen elderly women ; four of 
whom have two shillings and sixpence, the others 
two shillings per week each. 

Merchant Tailors' Alms House, Merchant 
Street, for nine persons, who each receive nine 
shillings weekly. 

There are nearly twenty other alms houses 
endowed for the reception and maintenance of aged 
persons. 

79 The figure of Neptune, which is supposed to have been 
first erected in commemoration of the defeat of the Spanish 
armada, is now stationed beside the church. 



276 



The following is a Catalogue of Painted Portraits in the 
Chamber of Bristol; to which are added, short Bio- 
graphical Notices of those persons more immediately 
connected with its history : — 

Mr. THOMAS WHITE. By deed dated January 14, 1541, 
Mr. Thomas White gave lands in the manor of Hinton Der- 
ham, Gloucestershire, to the feoffees and the chamberlain of 
Bristol, £11 per annum to exempt the Severn trows from 
paying toll, custom, murage, or keyage, for goods carried from 
the quay of Bristol, payable to the sheriff or other person : 
and to Foster's, St. John's, Spencer's, and St. Thomas's 
Alms houses, £2 85. each per annum. — Towards the expense, 
&c. of All Saints' and St. John's conduits, £1 each per 
annum. He was mayor of Bristol in 1530. 

Messrs. ROBERT and NICHOLAS THORNE. These por* 
traits were copied from the originals at the grammar school, 
and are supposed to have been painted by Holbein. 

Robert and Nicholas Thorne were sons of Rob. Thome, 
merchant, who was mayor of Bristol in 1514. Robert, the 
elder, was born in Bristol in the year 1492, and Nicholas in 
1496. They were blessed with ample fortunes, and what is 
more, with liberal minds and benevolent hearts. They be- 
stowed large sums for pious uses, and founded the free 
grammar school in this city. Robert died a bachelor, in 
1532, and was buried in the church of St. Christopher, Lon- 
don. Nicholas died in the year 1546, and was buried in the 
church of St. Werburgh, Bristol. 

Sir THOMAS WHITE. He was the son of a clothier, 
and was born at Reading, in Berkshire, in 1492, where he 
received the elements of his education ; after which he was 
apprenticed for ten years to a merchant in London, who was 
so much pleased with his conduct, that at his death he left 



PAINTED PORTRAITS. £77 

him £100. With this, and the patrimony left him by his 
father, who died in 1523, he commenced business on his own 
account, and in a few years rose to wealth and honour, and 
became distinguished by acts of munificence. He gave £2,000 
to the mayor and corporation of Bristol, and the same to the 
town of Leicester, to purchase estates, and raise a fund, from 
which sums of money might be lent to industrious tradesmen ; 
and in times of scarcity to relieve the poor. The city of 
Coventry also partook largely of his bounty. He was mayor 
of London in 1553, when he was knighted, for preserving the 
peace of the city during the rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyatt. 
He was the founder of St. John's College, Oxford, in the 
chapel of which he was buried, in 1566, aged seventy-two 
years. 

An ALDERMAN, whose name is not preserved. 

Lord Treasurer BURLEIGH. 

ROBERT CECIL, Earl of Salisbury. 

Alderman ROBERT EITCHIN. He gave by will £400 to the 
corporation of Bristol, in trust, to be lent to young tradesmen, 
in sums of £25, £10, and £5 each, interest free ; and £7 16s. 
per annum, in bread, to the poor of the parishes of Christ 
Church, St. Stephen, and Temple: — £12 per annum for plac- 
ing out six poor children: — £2 13s. id. per annum, towards 
maintaining a scholar at Oxford or Cambridge : — £26 per 
annum to poor householders of the several parishes in Bristol. 

THOMAS WHITE, D. D., was son of John White, Temple 
Street, Bristol. In 1566 he became a student of Magdalen 
College, Oxford, whence he went to London — was rector of 
St. Dunstan's in the West, and was a noted preacher. In 
1584 he was made D. D., had a prebend in St. Paul's given 
him, and was canon of Christ Church, Oxford. He erected 
and endowed a hospital in Temple Street, the place of his 
birth, called the Temple Hospital : and gave four messuages 
or tenements, in Gray's Inn Lane, London, of the yearly 
value of £40, to the mayor, burgesses, and commonalty of 
this city for various charitable purposes. He died March 1, 
1623. 



278 chilcott's Bristol guide. 

KING CHARLES I. 

The Earl of PEMBROKE. 
The two last are supposed to have been painted by Vandyck. 

RICHARD WESTON, Lord Treasurer, afterwards Earl of 
Portland. 

Alderman JOHN WHITS ON was born of obscure parents, at 
Clewerwall, or Clearwell, in the parish of Newland, in the 
county of Gloucester. It appears he came to Bristol about 
the middle of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and engaged 
himself as a servant to a wine cooper and merchant, in Nicho- 
las Street. His diligence and honesty soon raised him to the 
situation of first clerk in the counting house, where the whole 
weight of business lay on him. His master dying, he con- 
tinued to conduct the business for the widow, who rewarded 
his integrity with her hand. He was now become an emi- 
nent merchant, and was chosen a member of the corporate 
body. He served the office of mayor in 1603, when the 
plague raged in Bristol, and 2,600 persons died, from July 28, 
1603, to February 20, 1604. Notwithstanding this great 
mortality, it appears he stood to his post, and gave every 
assistance in his power to the distressed citizens, both as a 
magistrate and a Christian. This circumstance he alludes to 
where he says, "My health God has been graciously pleased 
to continue, in the midst of contagious sickness : I have seen 
a thousand fall beside me," &c. " and yet the arrow did not 
come nigh me," He was also mayor of Bristol in 1615, and 
represented the city four times in parliament. At length, 
fatigued with public business, he resolved to retire from the 
noise and bustle of the world ; and wrote " The Pious Chris- 
tian's Pinal Parewell to the World and its Vanities. " His 
charities were most extensive ; see p. 267. He was married 
three times, and died in 1629, aged 73 years, and was buried 
in St. Nicholas' Church. 

Alderman GEORGE HARRINGTON. He gave the corpora- 
tion £240, intrust, for them to distribute 10s. weekly, to poor 
householders, in the parishes of Bristol ; and to pay the clerk 
£1 per annum for keeping the accounts. 



THE HOTWELLS. 



1 Nymph of the fount, from whose auspicious urn 
Flows health — flows strength — and beauty's roseate bloom/' 



The celebrity of the warm spring at Bristol appears 
to have extended so far back as the time of William 
Wyrcestre, by whom it is noticed in 1840; beyond 
this we have no record. It is on the west side of 
Bristol, about a mile down the river Avon, and 
rises out of an aperture in the rock of St. Vincent, 
a rock so well known to naturalists for its beautiful 
crystals called Bristol stones, spars, fossils, petri- 
factions, &c, but more especially distinguished 
by its fountain of tepid medicinal water, which 
has given to the place the name of the Hotwells, 
It issues from the bottom of the rock, about ten 
feet above the surface of the river at low water ; 
and is computed to discharge about forty gallons 
per minute. Tradition says it was first discovered 
by some sailors passing up and down the river, 
and that they used it outwardly for scorbutic com- 
plaints ; on this account it was that some persons 



284 chilcott's clifton guide. 

made a kind of brick reservoir for it, which was 
paved at bottom, and in this state it remained till 
the beginning of the seventeenth century. William 
Gagg, a broker, living in Castle Street, 1680, being 
afflicted with diabetes, was despared of by all who 
knew him; but dreaming that he drank of the 
Hotwell water, and found relief therefrom, he fol- 
lowed the impulse of his dream, and found it to 
answer his wish so effectually, that he soon re- 
covered. This remarkable instance was sufficient 
to recommend the water to others ; and from this 
time the virtues of the spring becoming more 
generally known, was so much frequented by 
strangers, that in 1690 the corporation of Bristol 
endeavoured to have it enclosed in such a manner 
as to prevent the tide from mixing with it: for 
this purpose a stone-work was raised to a greater 
height than the tides ever rose.; but this occa- 
sioned such a vast weight of water in the enclosure 
as to change the course of the spring, and it was 
in danger of being lost in consequence. In 1695, 
the merchant venturers of Bristol, who are lords 
of the manor of Clifton, granted a building lease to 
some citizens, who, recovering the water, erected 
the old Hotwell House, with convenient pumps, 
baths, &c, but which, from its contiguity to the 
margin of the river, admitted not of a drive as at 
present, but of a passage only through the house. 
The road for coaches and horses by Rownham and 



THE HOTWELLS. 285 

the Hotwells was not made until the year 1661. 
In 1822 the old Ho twell House was superseded by 
the present building, and at the time of its demoli- 
tion the road was thrown open for carriages under 
St. Vincent's rocks, and up the acclivity to Clifton 
Down. The new Hotwell House, which stands 
immediately behind the site of the old, is of the 
Tuscan order, and presents a handsome front of 
Bath stone. It is only wanting in altitude to become 
grand and dignified. The ground floor contains a 
very good pump room, and well-arranged hot and 
cold baths ; the upper portion of the house is ap- 
propriated to domestic purposes, and is let fur- 
nished, being peculiarly suitable to invalids, whose 
object is to give the waters a fair trial. 

The water, fresh raised from the spring, is gene- 
rally about the temperature of 76° Farenheit, and 
appears perfectly pellucid, sparkling, and abound- 
ing with air bubbles, which are continually rising 
from the bottom and sides to the surface, as if in a 
state of fermentation : it is of a whitish colour, which 
gradually goes off as it grows cold, nor can it ever 
afterwards by any heat of fire be raised to the like 
colour again ; therefore, to have it in perfection, it 
must be drank at the spring, where it has a deli- 
cate, soft, milky taste, beyond that of any other 
medicinal water in the known world, though in 
reality it is hard, and will not dissolve soap equally, 
but curdles into white masses ; neither will it wash 



286 chilcott's clifton guide. 

linen, but if it be kept open, and exposed for three 
weeks, or a longer time, it will answer those pur- 
poses as well as the best common water. It leaves 
a sort of dryness upon the palate, and is perfectly 
without smell, very pleasing and grateful to the 
stomach, cooling, and quenches thirst; and is found 
to be an excellent water to make tea with, as three 
parts of the usual quantity will be found to be 
quite sufficient. 

The sensible effects of this water when drank 
warm and fresh from the spring, are a gentle glow of 
the stomach ; by a continued use it keeps the skin 
moist and perspirable, and creates an improvement 
of the appetite. The effects on the bowels are vari- 
able. It may be taken with advantage in affections 
depending upon habitual costiveness ; and has been 
justly recommended from its purity in diabetes. 
The season is generally from May to October ; but 
as the temperature of the spring continues the 
same during the year, the summer months are pre- 
ferred, on account of the concomitant benefits of 
air and exercise. 

The contents of an Imperial Gallon of the Bristol 
Hotwell Water, as analysed by Wm. Herapath, 
Esq., in the month of January, 1843, are as fol- 
low: — 

Carbonic Acid Gas 8.75 cubic inches. 

Nitrogen Gas 6.56 ditto. 



THE HOTWELLS. 287 



SOLID MATTER, GRAINS, 

Chloride of Magnesium 2.180 

Nitrate of Magnesia 29.09 

Chloride of Sodium 5.891 

Sulphate of Soda 3.017 

Sulphate of Magnesia 1.267 

Carbonate of Lime 17.700 

Carbonate of Magnesia 660 

Carbonate of Iron 103 

Bitumen 150 

Sulphate of Lime 9.868 

Silicia 270 



Grains .... 44.015 



This water is chiefly recommended in consump- 
tions, weakness of the lungs, and all cases attended 
with hectic fever and heat; in uterine and other 
internal haemorrhages, in old diarrhoeas, and dy- 
senteries, in the fluor albus, in gleets, and the 
diabetes, for which it is extolled as a specific ; and 
in other cases where secretions are too much in- 
creased, and the humours too thin ; in the stone 
and gravel, in the stranguary, in colliquative 
sweats, in scorbutic and similar cases, in cholics, 
in the gout and rheumatism, loss of appetite, and 
indigestion, and in many other diseases ; external^ 
it is also of great use in sore and inflamed eyes, 
in scrofulas and cancers, ulcers, and other similar 
cases. 

Dr. Granville, on the "Spas of England," 
says, " he believes that if the Hotwell water be 



288 chilcott's clifton guide. 

employed for general use, and upon all occasions, 
by the resident invalid labouring under irritative 
fever, and also in certain stages of phthisical com- 
plaints, it will be found highly serviceable." 

The late Dr. Saunders considered Clifton water 
to be the safest mineral water for use in England, 
and looked upon it as being endowed with both 
diuretic and diaphoretic virtues. 

Unhappily, however, it is the dernier resort of 
patients ; hence its renovating power is denied by 
some, because it cannot always "create a soul under 
the ribs of death." 

But it is unnecessary to amplify on this melan- 
choly theme, the tale of sorrow has been already 
told, written in oft-repeated verse upon the walls 
of our neighbouring cathedral, and its saddening 
impulse is known and deeply felt in the hearts of 
many. In reference to this subject are some 
eloquent and pathetic lines ascribed to the late 
Lord Palmerston, on the death of his lady, who 
vainly applied to these waters for relief: — 



Whoe'er like me with trembling anguish brings 
His heart's sole treasure to fair Bristol springs ; 
Whoe'er like me, to sooth distress and pain, 
Shall pour these salutary springs in vain ; 
Condemn' d like me to hear the faint reply, 
To mark the fading cheek, the sinking eye ; 
From the chill' d brow to wipe the damps of death, 
And watch in dumb despair the shortening breath ;- 



THE HOTWELLS. 289 

If chance direct him to this artless line, 

Let the sad mourner know his pangs were mine. 

Ordain' d to lose the partner of my breast, 

Whose virtue warm'd me, and whose beauty blest, 

Framed every tie that binds the soul to prove 

Her duty friendship, and her friendship love ; 

But yet remembering that the parting sigh 

Appoints the just to slumber, not to die, 

The starting tear I check' d — I kiss'd the rod, — 

And not to earth resign' d her, but to God. 

The respectful attention of Mrs. Tutton, of the 
Hotwell House, is generally acknowledged by the 
nobility and gentry, who have availed themselves 
of the healing waters she dispenses. • The terms 
for drinking the waters are: — 

One Year's Subscription £1 1 

One Month 12 

One Week . . 3 

Single Glass 2 

Hot Bath 2 6 

Vapour Bath 2 6 

Shower Bath 1 

Cold Bath 1 

tgg The money to be paid in advance. 

The water is exported, and sent to all parts of 
the united kingdom. Properly bottled and packed, 
it keeps good in any climate, and for any length of 
time. 

The Bath waters and those of the Hotwells are 
supposed to have their source in the same basaltic 
range, though they differ considerablv in quality 



290 chilcott's clifton guide. 

and temperature. The sediment of both, when 
burned in a dark room, show a blue flame, emit a 
strong smell of sulphur, and effervesce when placed 
in contact with acids. 

A circumstance worthy of remark happened at 
the Hotwells, on the 1st of November, 1755, when, 
without any apparent cause, the water suddenly 
became very red, and so extremely turbid that it 
could not be drank. Many conjectures were formed 
to account for this phenomenon. A gentleman 
present desired the company particularly to notice 
the day, because he was firmly of opinion that it 
was the effect of a violent concussion somewhere 
at that time, of which probably they might soon 
hear. His opinion was shortly after confirmed, by 
accounts of the dreadful catastrophe at Lisbon, 
which city was nearly destroyed by an earthquake 
on the same day. It was a long while before the 
water of the Hotwells recovered its wonted purity. 

It is further remarkable, that a well of clear soft 
water, situate in a field near to St. George's Church, 
Kingswood, was also affected at the same time ; the 
water became black as ink, and continued unfit for 
use nearly a fortnight. It was thought at the time 
to have been occasioned by a stratum of coal con- 
tiguous to it. There were two other wells in the 
same field, one of them very deep and the water 
hard, the other shallow; neither of which under- 
went any visible alteration. 



THE HOT WELLS. 291 

A row of houses, with a colonnade in front, ad- 
joins the pump room : in one of these the celebrated 
literary milkwoman of Bristol, Ann Yearsley, kept 
a circulating library for some years. 

Between this colonnade and Bownham Ferry is 
St. Vincent's Parade, above which are some aeriel 
houses called Windsor Terrace, jutting forth like 
a promontory from the surrounding terraces ; for 
many years they bore the name of "Watts's 
Folly," from the following circumstance. A 
worthy man of the name of William Watts, 1 by 
trade a plumber, was blessed with a wife who 
had not only the ordinary amusing faculty of 
dreaming, but also the extraordinary one of turning 
her dreams to advantage. On a certain night, whilst 
sleeping, her unconstrained thoughts wandered, 
and she dreamed that by permitting melted lead to 
fall from a considerable height into water, the drops 
would become globular, and a great improvement 
might therefore be effected in the manufacture of 
shot ; Mr. Watts had faith in his wife's dream, and 
was not like many persons, whose exalted minds 
and capabilities do not permit them to listen to any 
suggestions of their wives, he not only listened 
to it but acted upon it, and first tried the experi- 
ment from the tower of St. Mary BedclifF: the 
result proving successful he erected a manufactory 

1 See page 99. 



292 chilcott's clifton guide. 

near the church, and obtained a patent which he 
sold for £10,000. It were a pity, however, but 
what his inestimable partner, who had by one 
dream filled his coffers with gold, could not have 
dreamed again, or obtained some prescience from 
which she might have deemed it advisable to give 
a caution as to the disposal of the money. Unfor- 
tunately for Mr. Watts and his suddenly-acquired 
wealth, he set his mind upon building, and sacri- 
ficed the whole amount in making excavations and 
raising the foundation of the houses on this terrace, 
without the adequate means to carry out their com- 
pletion; and their bare walls, the skeleton of false 
views and visionary hopes, were left for many 
years as spectral monuments of his folly. The 
houses are now and have been for a considerable 
period completed: they passed from the hands of 
their projector, of whose subsequent history no- 
thing further has been told. 

To the admirers of the late highly-talented Mrs. 
Hannah More this terrace must be regarded with 
more than ordinary interest, it being to one of 
these houses that she removed from Barley Wood, 
near Wrington, Somerset, towards the close of her 
life, and where she died on the 7th of September, 
1833, at the age of eighty-nine. 



293 

THE GLOUCESTER HOTEL, HOTYVELLS, 

Is a very remarkable building — one large house 
being, as it were, planted on the top of another. 
The assembly room is ninety feet long, thirty-five 
feet wide, and thirty feet high. The coffee room 
is also of large dimensions, and the whole of the 
sitting and sleeping apartments are spacious and 
airy; and, from its ensconsed position, strongly 
recommended by Dr. Granville and others to the 
invalid for his temporary residence. 

There are two boarding houses next the above 
hotel, one of them named Ivatt's, and the other 
Redman's Hotel. 



CUMBERLAND HOTEL, Cumberland 
Basin. — The nobility and gentry about to embark 
in the various steam packets, will find here every 
attention paid to their accommodation and comfort. 



YORK HOTEL, Dowry Square, is also a 
very respectable and quiet family house. 

There are omnibuses to and from the Great 
Western, Bristol and Birmingham, and Bristol and 
Exeter railways, almost every hour in the day, 
from and to these hotels. 



The following are the principal places of resort 



294 chilcott's clifton guide. 

for lodging at the Hotwells, viz.: — St. Vincent's 
Parade, Ashton Place, Caroline Place, Dowry 
Place, Dowry Parade, Dowry Square, Chapel 
Kow, Albemarle Row, the Polygon, Hope Square, 
and Granb yHill. 

The sheltered situation of the Hotwells is also 
peculiarly beneficial to the consumptive invalid; 
and it has the advantage of being totally free from 
those atmospherical changes which are so prejudi- 
cial to the pulmonic patient. 

Those visitors whose health requires a warm 
sheltered residence, will do well to secure apart- 
ments in Albemarle Row, Dowry Parade, or St. 
Vincent's Parade, as during the winter months 
there is no comparison between the temperature 
of these situations and the higher parts of Clifton. 
In St. Vincent's Parade, especially, the invalid is 
as completely sheltered from the south-east, east, 
and north-east winds, as he is protected from the 
west and south-western gales by the screen of the 
wooded hills on the opposite side of the Avon. 
The scene is not only more lively from the tidal 
changes in the river, but also salutary and benefi- 
cial in a medical point of view. The side glance 
down the river, which the inhabitants of these 
houses enjoy, gives an additional interest to the 
locality. 

Those who walk from St. Vincent's Parade, 
northwards, will enjoy one of the most magnificent 



THE HOTWELLS. 295 

sights which nature and the wonderful imaginings 
and works of man can contribute to produce. For 
the lover of the picturesque alone, this view, with 
the further embellishment of the zig-zag walk, along 
which pedestrians ascend by gentle acclivities to 
the heights of Clifton Down, will form a subject of 
the most striking character, worthy of the pencil of 
Salvator and Claude combined, as there are features 
in it suitable to both these great masters, — the 
lovely and the terrific. 

A new road has been constructed on the bank 
of the river, leading to Clifton and Durdham 
Downs : in passing which the most enchanting 
scenery presents itself. 

The naturalist will find many stalls and shops, 
from Rownham Ferry to St. Vincent's Rock, ready 
to tempt him with their glittering stores. 



The Hotwells, always attractive, are become 
doubly so since the establishment of steam packets ; 
the motley groups of strangers, constantly passing 
by them, continue the novelty ; and their starting 
or arriving never fails to collect a multitude of 
spectators and friends, eager to bid welcome, or to 
say farewell. 

Property in the vicinity of the Docks has greatly 
improved in value ; and the facility of intercourse 
which the steam packets secure between Bristol, 
Liverpool, Ireland, the Principality, Devonshire, 



296 chilcott's clifton guide. 

and Cornwall, has been productive of general be- 
nefit to this neighbourhood. These benefits, how- 
ever, are not confined to this side of the water, as 
Liverpool, Ireland, Wales, &c. also obtain a full 
participation in the advantages which the oppor- 
tunity of frequent communication afibrds. 

All information respecting the Irish, Welsh, and 
North Devon steam packets, may be obtained at 
the General Steam Navigation Company's Office, 
Broad Quay ; for Liverpool, at No. 2, St. Stephen 
Street; for Cornwall, 82, Broad Quay; and for 
America, at the Great Western Steam Ship Com- 
pany's Offices, 25, Prince's Street, Bristol. 

Mr. Jones, Eownham Wharf, has the manage- 
ment of the Chepstow and Newport steam packets, 
belonging to the Bristol General Steam Navigation 
Company ; and, Bruce & Co. of two iron steamers, 
propelled by screw, to Newport only — office, Bell 
Avenue, Queen Square. Tables of the days and 
time of sailing may be seen at the libraries ; at all 
the hotels ; and in Bristol. 



DOWRY CHAPEL, THE CHAPEL OF 
EASE TO CLIFTON, 

Is in Dowry Square : it contains some neat monu- 
ments. This chapel is the particular property of 
the minister of Clifton, and the whole of the seats 
are let at the following rates : — 



THE HOTWELLS. 297 

The year (one sitting) £1 1 

Half-year 15 

Three months 10 6 

One month 5 6 

Sittings may be procured by application to the 
sexton — Mr. Bull, Berkeley Place. 



TEINITY CHURCH, 
HotwellRoad, in the parish of Clifton, was opened 
for divine service on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 1830. 

The chief front of this church is facing the south : 
the large niche (frequently seen in churches on the 
continent) offers great convenience, as well as 
beauty, at a very small comparative expense. The 
pediment is surmounted by a cupola of light and 
elegant construction, and above the niche is a dove, 
beautifully executed by Tyley. The architecture 
of this building is Tuscan, combining great simpli- 
city with solidity and strength. The interior dimen- 
sions are eighty-five by sixty feet ; and it forms, 
by the arrangement of the pillars supporting the 
roof and galleries, a nave and transept in the figure 
of the cross. The height of the church, to the 
centre of the dome, is forty feet. A gallery for the 
charity children, and a very fine organ, put up 
by Gray of London, are built over the communion 
screen. The four cherubim placed here, are 
much admired for the beauty of their execution 
and appropriateness. C. R. Cockerell, Esq., was the 



298 chilcott's clifton guide. 

architect, who certainly displayed much taste and 
skill in every part of the building. 

This church was built entirely by voluntary 
subscription, and cost upwards of £8,000, half of 
which was given by one individual, the late Thos. 
Whippie, Esq. 

The number of sittings is 1654, more than half of 
which are appropriated as free sittings for the poor. 



HOPE CHAPEL 

(So called because Lady Hope was one of its 
founders,) is a dissenting meeting-house in the in- 
dependent connexion. The seats are let by the 
month, quarter, half-year, and year : the receipts 
are appropriated to keeping the building in repair 
and cleansing it : from this fund the minister also 
derives his stipend. 

This chapel has been considerably enlarged and 
repewed. 



GRENVILLE CHAPEL 

Is a handsome Gothic building, recently erected in 
Grenville Place, near Cumberland Basin, by the 
late Thomas Whippie, Esq., for the use of the 
Wesleyan Methodists. Underneath is a commo- 
dious school room. 

There is also a neat Wesleyan Chapel in the 
Hotwell Road, opened in 1833, with a school room 
underneath. 



299 

ST. VINCENT'S ROCKS. 



' All hail to the rocks in proud grandeur reposing.*' 



St. Vincent's Rocks, so called from a chapel 
dedicated here to the honour of St. Vincent, and 
which appears to have been standing in the time 
of William Wyrcestre, whose description of it in 
connection with the hermitage, vulgarly known as 
the " Giant's Hole," will be found at page 315. 
St. Vincent suffered martyrdom, in Valencia, in the 
year 305. It is now upwards of three centuries 
and a half since William Wyrcestre visited this 
chapel, and all traces of its masonry have disap- 
peared, so that its exact site is not to be ascertained; 
conjecture only will point to the Observatory as 
the ground on which the chapel stood, and imagi- 
nation may blend with the stone work of the 
modern walls, some unnoticed portions of the sacred 
oratory. How time has changed the aspect of all 
around ! near to the summit of this down, where 
erst the Roman soldier was encamped, are the 
abutments and piers in preparation for the sus- 
pension bridge ; the remnant of the labours of a 
past age and past nation are fast disappearing, and 
we may almost look in vain for any object of old 



300 CHILCOTT'S CLIFTON GUIDE. 

time to which the associations arising from the 
perusal of history's page would bid us cling. 

The limited pages of a Guide will prevent our 
doing more than refer to the existing remains of 
fortifications still visible, both on the Clifton and 
Somersetshire side of the river. Disquisitions 
upon this subject have occupied the time, attention, 
and ability of numerous antiquaries, the result of 
whose researches form a prominent part in Seyer's 
Memoirs of Bristol, and other works of topogra- 
phical information connected with this city and 
neighbourhood, to which those who penetrate 
deeply into this wide field of speculation can refer. 
While on this subject we may observe that the 
communication from Clifton camp with those on 
the opposite side of the river, is supposed to 
have been at the present ferry of Rownham, which 
has a paved bottom, and whose original name is 
said to be Roman ; while some have asserted it to 
have been below the northern extremity of St. 
Vincent, where at low water large stones may be 
seen scattered in the stream. 

Looking at the heights, on either side of the 
river, in their most imposing and picturesque 
aspect, and the commanding grandeur of this mighty 
chasm, we instinctively turn our thoughts to the 
wondrous workings of nature which produced the 
scenery we see before us. From the excavations 
in 1804, for the new course of the river, indepen- 



ST. VINCENT S ROCKS. 



301 



dent of examinations of various deposits of alluvial 
soil, the opinions which had previously prevailed 
were confirmed ; that the united waters of the 
rivers Avon and Froom, which had flowed through 
the moors in Somersetshire, to the Bristol Chan- 
nel on this side Bridgwater, had by some sudden 
convulsion of nature forced an abrupt passage 
between St. Vincent's Rocks and Leigh Woods — 
the equal height of the rocks on either side of the 
river — the corresponding inclination of the strata 
■ — the cavities or recesses on the one side, and the 
projections on the other, render the supposition 
more than probable. 




A suspension bridge is now commenced to unite 
these sublime summits ; Mr. Tick, a wine mer- 
chant of Bristol, having, in 1754, bequeathed one 
thousand pounds towards such an undertaking; 
which legacy, with the interest, amounts to £10,000. 



302 chilcott's cltfton guide. 

A public subscription has been entered into, and a 
Committee of Trustees appointed, for the purpose 
of carrying the liberal wishes of the testator into 
effect, by the erection of a bridge on the suspension 
principle, designed by Mr. Telford. Parliamentary 
sanction has long been obtained, and the foundation 
stone of the pier on the Somersetshire side of the 
river was laid August 27, 1836, by the Marquis 
of Northampton. 

The funds already contributed, including Mr. 
Vick's gift of £10,000, amount to about the sum 
of £45,000 ; the whole of which has been required 
for the prosecution of the works to their present 
stage. These works consist of the complete con- 
struction of the abutments and piers (with the 
exception of the ornamental parts of the latter) on 
both sides of the river, the tunnels and chambers 
in the rock for fastening the chains, the excavation 
of the rock for the roads of approach, and the 
complete construction and delivery of one half of 
the iron work of the chains, suspending rods, and 
flooring of the bridge ; including therefore the 
most difficult parts of the work, and all such as 
involved any doubt or uncertainty as to their pro- 
bable cost. 

Those parts which remain to be executed consist 
of the ornamental additions to the piers, the re- 
maining half of the chains and other iron work, the 
suspension and fixing of the chains and suspending 



st. Vincent's rocks. 303 

rods, the construction of the flooring of the bridge, 
the erection of toll-houses and gates, and the com- 
pletion of the roads of approach. 

The estimate for the execution and entire com- 
pletion of these remaining works amounts to the 
sum of about £30,000, one half of which at least 
will be required for the iron work. 

To strangers the scenery of this locality is rife 
with the romantic associations which belong to the 
wild and picturesque in nature: the perpendicular 
precipices, with impending trees shooting their 
branches over the brink ; the steep beetling rocks ; 
the narrow gulleys, filled with the fallen fragments 
of the cliffs ; the unvarying sound of the jack daws, 
wheeling and eddying about their lofty houses; 
the occasional blasting of the rocks, echoing and 
reverberating like rumbling peals of thunder, with 
the terrific and dissonant crash made by the masses 
of stone that are hurled from their native beds down 
the cragged and rugged precipices — all combine to 
form a picture, that seen and felt, though but once, 
must nevertheless haunt the imagination and fur- 
nish a theme of thought for many years. 

The venerable appearance of these rocks is 
greatly lessened within the last century, by the 
operation of blasting and taking away the fine old 
grey surfaces, " rich with fantastic foliage;" selling, 
as Southey observes, " the sublime and beautiful 
by the boat load." But the stone, it is said, makes 



304 chilcott's clifton guide. 

the best lime in the world ; and this is a sweeping 
answer to all our complaints. 

We cannot, however, but regret to behold, by 
the incessant operation of the miners, the huge 
cavities which have been made in the rocks, and 
deplore the necessity which thus compels the des- 
truction of their time-stained surface ; we would 
like to see them in their grey and mellow tone, 
that the annual touch of centuries has pencilled 
upon them, from the hour in which they assumed 
their present form, when we may conjecture that 
this island was shaken and riven by a mighty earth- 
quake, over the memory of which the dim twilight 
of tradition has cast no ray; when the waters of 
the Avon and the Froom first oosed through the 
chasm of the cleft rocks, and worked out their 
muddy channel. We would like to see them as 
they were left at that awful and appalling hour, 
not with the harsh, crude, and discordant colours 
of their newly-pared surface, but before the effects 
of gunpowder, and the constant and monotonous 
clinking of the labourer's hammer had banished 
the poetry and romance, as well as much of the 
loveliness, beauty, and solitude of the spot. 

Between the strata, in small cavities, are found 
those crystals called Bristol diamonds; some of 
which are exceedingly clear and brilliant, and of 
so hard a nature as to cut glass : they are also 
found inclosed in hollow reddish nodules, which 



PLANTS GROWING AT CLIFTON. 305 

are, as it were, pregnant with these gems, and 
contain them as in a safe matrix, which must be 
broken before you can discover them ; these are 
often turned up by the plough, in the fields near 
Durdham Down and Kingsweston. They are 
sometimes found tinged with yellow, sometimes 
purple : spars are commonly sold as Bristol stones, 
but the crystallization is different ; 2 the true crys- 
tals are hexagonal, and terminate in a point — the 
shoots of spar are triangular, or pentangular. The 
limestone body of the rocks is a species of marble, 
and bears a fine polish : beautifully variegated spe- 
cimens may be frequently purchased. 

St. Vincent's rocks and their neighbourhood 
are known to produce a variety of plants, either 
peculiar to the place, or very rarely to be met with 
elsewhere ; the following is a more correct list than 
has yet appeared. 

Aira cespitosa. Turfy hair grass. Clifton woods. June, July. 
Allium vineale. Crow Garlic. About Brislington, Clifton 

rocks. 
Apargia hispida. Rough dandelion. St. Vincent's rocks. 

May to September. 
hirta. Small ditto. About Clifton downs. June to 

August. 
Apium Petroselinum. Culinary parsley. St. Vincent's rocks. 

2 The criterion by which to distinguish the true Bristol 
stones from spar is, that if an attempt be made to cut glass 
with spar it breaks. 

X 



306 chilcott's clifton guide. 

Aquilegia vulgaris. Columbine. Clifton and Leigh woods, 

and grounds at Piercefield. July. 
Arabis hirsuta. Hairy Wall Cress. St. Vincent's rocks. June. 
stricta. St. Vincent's rock Cress. St. Vincent's rocks. 

The only habitat known for this rare plant. May. 
Arenaria tenuifolia. Under St. Vincent's rocks. 

rubra. Brandon hill. 

serpyllifolia. Ditto. 

marina. Under St. Vincent's rocks, and banks of 

the Avon. 
Arundo phragmites. Common reed. Ditches about the Avon. 
Asperula odorata. Woodruff. Plentifully in Leigh woods. May. 
Asplenium Adiantum nigrum. Leigh woods. 
Aspidium aculeatum. Prickly Shield Fern. Hedges about 

the Zoological grounds. 

angulare. Lane at Stoke ; Stapleton and Leigh woods. 

Filix fcemina. Female Fern. Leigh woods. 

Betonica officinalis. Betony. Clifton down. Leigh wood. 

July, August. 
Bromus erectus. Upright brome grass. St. Vincent's rocks. 

asper. Wood brome grass. Clifton wood. July and 

August. 

diandrus. Under St. Vincent's rocks. June. 

pinnatus. St. Vincent's rocks. 

Campanula Trachelium. Nettle-leaved throat wort. Banks 
of Avon, under Leigh wood. Road-sides about Belmont, 
plentifully. July, August. 

Cardamine hirsuta. Redland court and Leigh woods. March, 
June. 

Carex pulicaris. Flea Sedge. Clifton wood. 

Chlora perfoliata. Yellow Centaury. Leigh and Clifton woods, 
about Knowle, common in this vicinity. June, September. 

Cistus Helianthemum. Rock Rose. St. Vincent's rocks, com- 
mon. July, August. 

Cochlearia officinalis. Common Scurvy Grass. Banks of the 
Avon. May. 



PLANTS GROWING AT CLIFTON. 307 

Oonvallaria majalis. Lilly of the Valley. Leigh woods. May. 

polygonatum. Solomon's Seal. Ditto. May, June. 

Conyza squarrosa. Ploughman's spikenard. St. Vincent's 

rocks, Crew's Hole, &c. August, September. 
Cornus sanguinea. Skewer wood. Leigh woods and hedges. 

June. 
Crepis biennis. Hawk's beard. About Clifton rocks. July 

and August. 
Epimedium alpinum. Barren wort. Leigh woods, near Leigh. 

July. 
Erodium cicatarium. St. Vincent's rocks and common. 
moschatum. Musky Stork's Bill. Banks of the 

river under the rocks. May to October. 
Erythraea Centaurium. Centaury. Clifton rocks and Leigh 

woods. 
Euphrasia officinalis. Eyebright. Clifton rocks. 
Fedia dentata. Toothed lamb's lettuce. By the sides of the 

towing path by the Avon below Rownham Ferry. June, July. 
Festuca ovina. Sheep's fescue grass. Downs, Leigh, &c. 

myurus. Wall fescue grass. Walls at Sir J. Smith's, 

Ashton, St. Vincent's rocks, &c. 

loliacia. Spiked fescue. Pastures about Redland, &c« 



July. 

Galium saxatile. Clifton and Durdham downs. 

mollugo. Brandon hill, Clifton down, &c. 

Gentiana Amarella. Autumnal gentian. Banks of the Avon, 
opposite St. Vincent's rocks, not abundant. August, Sept. 

Geranium sanguineum. Bloody Crane's Bill. About the Zig- 
zag and other parts of St. Vincent's rocks. July, September. 

lucidum. St. Vincent's rocks and common. June, 

August. 

Hedysarum Onobrychis. Saintfoin. St. Vincent's rocks. 
June, July. 

Hesperis matronalis. Redland Court. It should not be called 
H. inodora. Dame's Violet. May, June. 

Holcus mollis. Soft grass. Clifton wood, &c. 

lanatus. Meadow soft grass. Common in fields. July. 



308 chilcott's clifton guide. 

Holcus avenaceus. Arrhenatherum avenaceum. 

Hordeum maritimum. Squirrel-tail grass. Banks of Avon, 

under Cook's Folly. June, July. 
Hypericum pulchrum. Clifton down. June, July. 
Jasione montana. Sheep's Scabions. Durdham Down. July, 

August. 
Lathyrus hirsutus. Between Pensford and Bristol. 
Lavatera arborea. Tree Mallow. Steep Holmes. July to Oct. 
Lepidium petraeum. Hock Pepper Wort. Walls, St. Vincent's 

rocks. March, April. 
Ligustrum vulgare. Privet. Hedges and wood, Leigh. July. 
Lonicera Caprifolium. Pale honeysuckle. Leigh woods. 
Lotus angustissimus. Under Cook's Folly. 
Marrubium vulgare. Horehound. Brandon hill. August. 
Medicago falcata. Yellow Sickle Medic. Under St. Vincent's 

rocks. July. 

maculata. | 

. . t Brandon hill ; under St. Vincent's rocks. 
minima, > 



Melica uniflora. Melic grass. Clifton and Dugards woods. 

May, June. 
Meum Faeniculum. Fennel. St. Vincent's rocks. 
Minor. St. Vincent's rocks. May and June. 
Monotropa Hypopitys. Yellow Birds' Nest. Leigh woods. 
Mysostis sylvatica. Leigh and Clifton woods. 
Ophrys muscifera. Fly Ophrys. Woods under Cook's Folly. 
Orchis bifolia. Butterfly Orchis. Woods under Cook's Folly. 

June. 
Ornithopus perpusillus. Birds' foot. Brandon hill, and walls 

about Brislington. May to September. 
Orobanche elatior. Tall broom rape. St. Vincent's rocks, 

parasitic upon furze, ivy, &c. September, October. 
Orobus tuberosus. Heath Peaseling, Bitter Vetch. Clifton 

woods. April, May. 
Osmunda regalis. Flowering Fern. Leigh woods. 
Paeonia corallina. Peony. Steep Holmes, the only habitat in 

England at present known. May, June. 



PLANTS GROWING AT CLIFTON. 309 

Paris quadrifolia. Leigh woods, ascending the path opposite 
the Black rock. Varieties with three and five leaves. May, 
June. 

Picris hieracioides. Oxtongue. St. Vincent's rocks. 

Pimpinella dioica. St. Vincent's rocks. 

Plantago maritima. Banks of the Avon. Rocks, Weston- 
Super-Mare. June, July. 

Poa distans. Reflexed grass. Banks of the Avon, from the 
dock gates to Cook's Folly, in great abundance. June, July. 

maritima. Muddy banks of the Avon, under Cook's 

Folly. July, October. 

procumbens. Under Clifton rocks and waste places about 

Rownham. July and August. 

rigida. Hard grass. Walls ; on a wall at the top of the 

hill going from W r estbury to Henbury. June. 

Polypodium dryopteris. Leigh woods, occurring rarely. 

Potentella verna. Spring Cinquefoil, St. Vincent's rocks. 
April, June. 

Prunus Padus. Bird cherry. Leigh woods. 

Pyrus Malus. Crab. Leigh woods. 

Aria. White Beam. Leigh woods and St. Vincent's 

rocks. May. 

Rottbollia incurvata. Sea hard grass. Banks of the Avon, 
under St. Vincent's rocks. In this grass the florets are so 
sunk into the rachis, that the plant in flower is rendered very 
inconspicuous. When the sunshine has expanded the glumes, 
and the white anthers hang out of them, it is tolerably easy 
to find. It forms a very considerable portion of the turf in 
several spots under the rocks. August, September. 

Rubas Idaeus. Raspberry. Near Redland Court. 

glandulosus. Blaize Castle woods . 

Rubia peregrina. Madder. Clifton, Leigh woods, &c. This 
plant is almost as common in various places in this neigh- 
bourhood as Galium aparine. July. 

Rumex. sanguinea. Bloody Dock. Banks of Avon under 
Leigh Woods. 

pulcher. Fiddle Dock. About Stapleton. 



310 CHILCOTT's CLIFTON GUIDE. 

Sagina procumbens. Gravel walks and dry places, Brandon 

hill, &c. 

apetala. ditto, ditto. 

Salvia verbenaca. Wild Clary. Redland, St. Vincent* s rocks. 

June. 
Samolus Valerandi. Water pimpernel. Muddy banks of the 

Avon, under Cook's Folly. 
Saxifraga tridactytites. St. Vincent's rocks. July. 
Scabiosa succisa. Devil's bit. Plentifully near the keeper's 

cottage, Leigh woods. June, August. 

— arvensis. "1 Borders of fields and dry places. St. 
aria. 1 



columbaria. J Vincent's rocks. July to September. 

Scilla autumnalis. Autumnal Squill. Point of land stretch- 
ing from the Clifton Observatory to the rocks. August, 

September. 
Sedum dasyphyllum. White Stonecrop. Walls about Belle 

Vue, Clifton. 

■ rupestre. St. Vincent's rocks. July. 

Sherardia arvensis. Field madder. St. Vincent's rocks. 
Sinapis muralis. Sand Mustard, Wall Rocket. St. Vincent's 

rocks, walls about Clifton, Easton, &c. August, September. 
Smyrnium Olusatrum. Alexanders. St. Vincent's rocks, and 

abundantly on the Steep Holmes. May, June. 
Spiraea Filipendula. Drop wort. St. Vincent's rocks. June, 

July. 
Taxus baccata. Yew. Leigh woods. March, April. 
Thymus Acinos. Basil Thyme. St. Vincent's rocks. June, 

August. 

Calamentha. About Crew's hole. September, Oct. 

Tormentilla officinalis. Tormentil. Clifton down and woods 

in abundance. 
Tragopogon porrifolius. Meadows below St. Vincent's rocks. 

May, June. 
Trifolium subterraneum. Under-ground Trefoil. Brandon hill. 

May. 

fragiferum. Strawberry Trefoil. Under St. Vincent's 

rocks. 



LEIGH WOODS. 311 

Triglochin palustre. Arrow Grass. Bogs under Cook's Folly. 

maritimum. Muddy banks of the Avon. 

Triodia decumbens. Heath, grass. Clifton down. June. 
Turritis glabra. Tower Mustard. St. Vincent's rocks. May, 

June. 
Verbena officinalis. Vervain. Under St. Vincent's rocks. 

August, September. 
Veronica spicata. Spiked speedwell. St. Vincent's rocks. June. 

hybrida. Welsh speedwell. ditto. July. 

Beccabunga. Brooklime. Brooks & ditches, common. 

officinalis. Common speedwell. Not so common in 

this neighbourhood ; by the sides of the new road under 

Clifton rocks. May to August. 
montana. Plentiful about Pucklechurch. Leigh woods. 



Viburnum Lantana. Leigh woods. May. 
Viola hirta. Hairy violet. St. Vincent's rocks. 

To the fossilist and the botanist these scenes 
will afford ample employment; but they should 
beware of the numberless smooth and tempting 
paths among the rocks; a single false step may 
precipitate the careless adventurer down one hun- 
dred yards of perpendicular descent ; but we are 
happy to record that few fatal accidents have oc- 
curred for the last twenty years. 

To an observer from this elevated spot on the 
Clifton side of the river,, the opposite woods in 
summer present a most charming appearance: they 
contain almost every forest tree indigenous to this 
country ; among which the broad-leaved sycamore, 
the majestic oak, the sombre yew, the lofty elm, 
the graceful mountain ash, with many others, are 
seen blending their hues together, and forming a 



312 CHILCOTT'S CLIFTON GUIDE. 

scene of foliage which for variety and exuberance 
can scarcely be equalled. Here it is not un- 
common, during fine summer evenings, for a band 
of musicians to assemble, at which time the opposite 
side is covered with an attentive crowd. The soft 
sounds wafted across the water are truly enchanting ! 
Dr. Holland, in his travels through Greece, 
adverts to this charming place in the following 
passage : u The features of nature are often best 
described by comparison ; and to those who have 
visited St. Vincent's rocks, below Bristol, I cannot 
convey a more sufficient idea of the far-famed Vale 
of Tempe, than by saying that its scenery resem- 
bles, though on a much larger scale, that of the 
former place. The Peneus, indeed, as it flows 
through the valley, is not greatly wider than the 
Avon, and the channel between the cliffs irregu- 
larly contracted in its dimensions ; but these cliffs 
themselves are much loftier and more precipitous, 
and project their vast masses of rock with still 
more extraordinary abruptness over the hollow 
beneath." 



WEST'S OBSERVATORY, CLIFTON DOWN, 
AND GHYSTON CAVE, 

Are now open to the public for their use and 
amusement every day, Sundays excepted, and the 
former contains a variety of optical and other instru- 
ments ; among which are an achromatic telescope, 



OBSERVATORY. 313 

with a fluid lens, mounted equatorially, of twenty- 
one feet focus, and sixteen inches aperture, in a 
room thirty feet in diameter, with a rotative dome, 
and every convenience for amusing or scientific 
research; also a reflector of seven feet focal length, 
and seven inches aperture, for astronomical uses, 
and for viewing the solar spots, which are interest- 
ing from the changes that take place in their size, 
number, &c. : — likewise two telescopes, of the 
Gregorian construction, of eight inches aperture, 
for viewing the varied, extensive, and beautiful 
scenery by which the Observatory is surrounded ; 
commanding views of the Channel, ships in King- 
road, the opposite coast of Monmouthshire, Pierce- 
field House, Chepstow, and other distant interesting 
objects. One achromatic telescope, for similar 
purposes : an excellent transit instrument, by 
Troughton, of London, with astronomical clock or 
regulator, accurately kept, by which Greenwich 
time may be truly known ; a self -registering aire- 
nometer, or wind-guage, indicating the force and 
pressure upon the square foot with great exactness ; 
at the same time noting every change in the 
twenty-four hours, in force and direction, and is 
particularly interesting, from the open situation of 
the building. 

Upon the summit is placed a very large and 
excellent Camera Obscura, embracing the whole 
of the surrounding scenery, from the gallery rails 



314 CHILCOTT'S CLIFTON GUIDE. 

to the horizon. The Camera Obscura, to those 
unacquainted with it, has a most magical effect, 
the whole of the scenery being brought in succes- 
sion upon the table, with moving figures, animals, 
and carriages in motion ; the distinct and vivid 
colour of nature, and the varied effects of light and 
shade upon the landscape, afford a high gratifica- 
tion to the observer. 

Here is also a very large achromatic solar mi- 
croscope ; the frame is ten inches in diameter, and 
all the other parts in proportion ; the immense body 
of light condensed by it, gives a surprising richness 
and vivacity to the image, free from the disagree- 
able coloured fringes of the common solar micro- 
scope. 

Ghyston Cave. — The proprietor has, at a con- 
siderable expense, excavated a safe and convenient 
passage from the Observatory on the summit, to an 
hitherto inaccessible cavern in the precipitous face 
of the cliff below, known as the Giantfs Cave. For 
two years workmen were constantly employed, at 
an expense of about £300, in forming the passage 
by blasting the rock, and which, after penetrating 
through an extent of upwards of two hundred feet, 
to a depth of ninety feet, is now accomplished. On 
Saturday, the 10th day of June, 1835, the Cave 
was first entered in this way. The new passage is 
from the large telescope room, in the Observatory. 
A circular flight of stone steps is first descended to 



GHYSTON CAVE. 



31S 



a depth of thirty -five feet ; the passage then pro- 
ceeds on an inclined plane for about one hundred 
and fifty feet, through the solid rock ; and another 
flight of steps to a depth of thirty feet, leads to the 
eastern end of the Cave. The Cave is now ascer- 
tained to be situate at a depth of ninety feet from 
the summit of the rock, and at a height of two 
hundred and twenty feet from high toater mark, 
making the entire measurement of rock three hun- 
dred and ten feet. William Wyrcestre's statement 
that it is sixty vethym, or three hundred and sixty 
feet, from the bed of the river, may therefore be 
adduced as an instance of the accuracy of his much 
disputed measurements. 

To the antiquary the historical details of the 
Cave are of considerable interest. It appears in all 
ancient chronicles to have been invariably deno- 
minated Ghyston Cliff or Cave, and was, on the 
26th of September, 1480, visited by the celebrated 
William Wyrcestre : — he says, 

"The hermitage, with an oratory or chapel, in the most 
dangerous part of the rock, called Ghyston ClifTe, situated in a 
cave of the rock, twenty yards in depth in the said rock, above 
the river Avon, in honour of St. Vincent."' — Itinerary, p. 150, 

Also, 

"The halle of the Chapell of Seynt Vincent, of Gyston-cliff, 
ys ix yerdes long, and me brede ys 3 yerdes. The length of the 

kychyn ys yerdes, and the brede of the kychyn ys 3 yerdes. 

And from the chapelle of Seynt Vyncent ys to the lower water 



316 CHILCOTT'S CLIFTON GUIDE. 

40 vethym. And from the ovyr part of the mayn grounde 
londe of the seyd hygh rok down to the seyd chapelle of Seynt 
Vyncent ben xx vethym rekened and proved ; and so from the 
high mayne ferme londe of the seyd rok downe to the lowest 
water ground of the channel of Avyn and Frome is 60 vethym, 
and moch more, proved by a yong man of smythy's occupacion 
yn Radcliff-strete, that seyd yt to me, hath both descended 
from the hyghest of the rok downe to the water syde." — 
Itinerary, p. 54. Dallaway s Edition, 

In Mr. West's examination of the cavern some 
articles were discovered, which, though intrinsically- 
valueless, may still tend to elucidate its history. 
They consist of numerous fragments of pottery, 
the mouldings of which, though simple, are in 
some instances extremely good — in so much as to 
induce a belief that they are of Roman origin. A 
large, square, glazed tile, such as was used in 
paving the choirs of ancient churches, with an 
antique key, &c, were also among the fragments. 
Lying over them was a portion of a mullion of a 
small Gothic window, or probably of a tabernacle 
or shrine. The whole of these relics were care- 
fully embedded under a large flat stone, and were 
discovered on removing an accumulation of earth 
and weeds from the surface of the Cave. 

To strangers visiting the romantic scenery of 
Clifton, we can recommend the Observatory as 
worthy of their notice. It will be found the most 
eligible point to obtain a general idea of its local 
beauties, independent of the amusement afforded 
by the various instruments. 



GUYSTON CAVE. 317 

The selection of this spot by the Romans for an 
encampment, is a single instance of their sagacity. 3 
The Via Julia, the road from Bath to Caerwent, 
has been traced close by, running across the Down, 
in front of the mansion of A. G. H. Battersby, Esq. 
at Stoke Bishop, continuing under Sneed Park, 
and over the adjoining hill, where it approaches 
Sea Mills. There are two other grand encamp- 
ments on the Somersetshire side of the river, 
equally well chosen, the ramparts being yet visible 
— one is immediately opposite the Clifton, and 
called the bower walls ; the other to the right is 
called Stoke Leigh Camp ; they each overlook that 
very beautiful valley, or combe, by which they are 
separated, by some called Nightingale Valley, and 
by others the Happy Valley. 4 

About a mile westward from Clifton extends 
Durdham Down, from whence the prospect of the 

3 Many relics of Roman antiquity have been found in the 
vicinity of these camps, and numerous coins of the earlier em- 
perors, with urns, tiles, and inscribed bricks, particularly when 
building Sion and Gloucester Rows ; and from the abundance 
of human bones which were found, it has been supposed to have 
been a place of interment, after some struggles for the recovery 
of British liberty. 

4 The reverberation produced here by the beautiful notes of 
the nightingale, or by music, was perhaps never heard with such 
delightful effect elsewhere ; the responses being uncommonly 
distinct, and dying away by degrees till they are entombed in 
complete silence. 



818 CHILCOTT'S CLIFTON GUIDE. 

Avon, pursuing its serpentine course through the 
magnificent cliffs and miles of rich woodland, until 
its outline melts into the distant Severn, is replete 
with romantic beauties, sufficient to fill the sketch- 
hook of a hunter after the picturesque. The 
variety of hill and dale, the foliage clothed in its 
autumnal livery, possessing every diversity of 
colour, from brown and red through orange and 
yellow to the sombre green of the mournful yew, 
the lighter green of the laurel and the various firs, 
with the silver stems of the delicate birch tree, 
shining through the leafy glades, and the blue tint 
of the distance melting into the warmer hues of 
the nearer landscape, seem a world of glorious 
imagery, the force of whose beauty any further 
attempt at description would materially tend to 
weaken. 

On the summit of the Down, extending round 
the margin of a dangerous and craggy precipice, 
known as " Black Rock," is a wall built by a 
gentleman of the name of Wallis, humanely placed 
as a barrier to prevent the destruction of the care- 
less who might otherwise incautiously venture too 
near the verge of the giddy height. 

The lonely turret, shattered and outworn, of 
which we obtain a glimpse over the hanging copse 
at the extremity of the Down, bears the name of 
Cook's Folly. There is an old tradition belonging 
to this building, which may be briefly told. The 



SEA MILLS. 319 

turret was erected by a person of the name of Cook, 
who having dreamt that a viper would be the occa- 
sion of his death, imprisoned himself here, to 
guard against the effects of destiny, receiving his 
daily food and other necessaries by means of a 
basket he let down from his room. Notwithstand- 
ing this precaution, a viper concealed in some 
fagots he had put upon the fire, darted forth upon 
him and inflicted the death-wound which had been 
predicted. There is also another account of a more 
romantic character, but not so worthy of that im- 
plicit reliance which some may be inclined to place 
upon the truth of the above. The name and date, 
" J. Cook, 1693," may be seen over the entrance 
to the tower. A John Cook was Sheriff of 
Bristol in 1672. 

From hence the scenery gradually looses its 
majestic and imposing aspect, becoming softer and 
more domestic, without any object to claim parti- 
cular notice until we arrive at Sea Mills, situated 
at the confluence of the Trym and the Avon. In 
this place the Romans are said to have laid up 
their gallies during winter. Here was once a 
large floating dock; but the expense and incon- 
venience arising from the shipping and unshipping 
of goods so far from Bristol, occasioned it to be 
neglected. A project was afterwards set on foot to 
make it a depot for a whale fishery; but this 
undertaking likewise failed. Some business was 



320 chilcott's clifton guide. 

subsequently carried on in building and refitting 
ships ; but the Dock getting out of repair,, and the 
proprietors disagreeing, the concern was entirely 
abandoned. In the c Memoirs of Bristol,' this 
place is spoken of as follows : " You will seldom 
find a spot more Roman in form and situation 
than Sea Mills, where I fix Abona, 5 with perfect 
confidence" 

Sir R. Atkyns, in his History of Gloucestershire, 
says, " Before the port of Bristol was settled in 
Froom river, there seems to have been a dispute 
whether a place called Sea Mills was not as con- 
venient a port as the other, several large ships 
having been built there. This occasioned the 
extravagant fabulous story concerning St. Vincent 
and Goram; for if the port of Sea Mills had been 
judged more convenient, thenGoram had prevailed, 
because his hermitage was at Westbury, on the side 
of the brook Trim, which runs to Sea Mills." 6 

5 The Roman station Abona (from which it is supposed our 
river derives its name, though some say it is the Antona of 
Tacitus,) has long puzzled the antiquaries with regard to its 
positive situation. 

6 It is said that, in days of yore, Giant Vincent cut asunder 
St. Vincent's rocks, in competition with Giant Goram. There 
is a rock pointed out at Kingsweston, as Goram' s chair ; here, 
they say, Goram sat down to take a nap ; while Vincent, more 
watchful, completed the undertaking and obtained all the credit. 



321 



CLIFTON. 

Having introduced the visitor, in our remarks 
on the Hotwells, to its peculiarities, in regard to 
the waters, rocks, hotels, lodging-houses, steam 
packets, places of public worship, &c. we now beg 
permission to lead him to that part of the village 
aptly called Clifton. A few years have produced 
important changes in this place, the extent of which, 
as a village, exceeds all parallel. The Royal York 
Crescent is the most extensive pile of buildings of 
this form in the kingdom, and from its elevated 
site commands distinct views of Lansdown to the 
east, Dundry Hill and tower to the south, and va- 
rious other objects of interest in the more imme- 
diate neighbourhood. Cornwallis, or the Lower 
Crescent, situated a little below the York Crescent, 
is also a handsome pile of buildings. 

The Paragon, a beautiful convex crescent, and 
Windsor Terrace, are worthy rivals of the above 
splendid buildings, and command delightful unin- 
terrupted views. 

" Clifton, for these last thirty years or more, under 
the most decided improvement, has been a never- 
failing source of lamentation with connoisseurs of 
the picturesque. All cry out the place is spoiled ; 
that its perfection was its village state. Now this 
observation, with regard to Clifton, never was true. 
As a village^ it never had, nor could it well have, 

Y 



CHILCOTT'S CLIFTON GUIDE. 

any beauty at all. It was always a bare hill, with- 
out variety, shade, or trees, or any thing to give it 
an interesting character for itself. Its merit was 
its position, as the very spot to be built upon ; as 
it were, the outskirts of the territory of enchant- 
ment, from which it was separated by a river, not 
unlike, perhaps, to that which separated Elysium 
from the world of care. Looking from Clifton, you 
might see a land of f promise,' — of poetry, and the 
glimpse was just enough to excite the imagination; 
this was the view to which the eye would turn, 
and gaze till the thoughts would seek refuge or 
refreshment therein ; and standing or incumbent, 
with their feet or faces towards it, many were the 
figures you would see, and may now, ' ripae ulte- 
rioris amantes.' Clifton, with its fifteen thousand 
inhabitants, present no formidable array of in- 
vaders; it is not a permanent encampment on a 
hill, to overlook and bombard the territories of 
king Oberon. The beautiful woods still keep se- 
cure within them the hidden, the enchanted beauty, 
' bosomed high in tufted trees ;' and many are the 
suitors that come, and at respectful distances fondly 
observe the magic circle in which she is embow- 
ered. Thus the sweetness is not ' wasted on the 
desert air. 5 The scenery and the buildings thus 
divided by the river, assist each other; they are 
not out of character. If Clifton Hill, instead of 
presenting the residences of the opulent, the culti- 



CLIFTON. 328 

vated in taste and the elegant arts of life, were 
reduced to the beggary of a few poor-looking cot- 
tages, the opposite woods, as far as might be, would 
be vulgarized. Now you associate with them men- 
tal refinement, music, poetry, painting, — all that 
elevates mankind above the boor. Thus Clifton is 
a, residence in the precincts of enchantment ; and 
all within its ken and observation is a charmed 
-domain. You are thoroughly rescued from the 
sight of unseemly toil and thoughtless labour ; for 
the figures you meet have the e dolce far niente' 

air about them." 7 

CLIFTON CHUKCH. 
The present church was opened for public wor- 
ship on the 12th of August, 1822 ; it is built a few 
feet northward of the site of the old one : it is a 
spacious edifice, and accommodates a very large 
congregation. A splendidly painted window has 
been placed at the east end of the church at the 
sole expense, we believe, of the Rev. Dr. Pusey. 



ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, Durdham Down. 

This church has recently been built near King's 
Parade, Durdham Down, for the accommodation of 
the inhabitants of that populous district ; the parish 
church of Clifton being at a great distance. It is 
built in the Gothic style ; and its interior arrange- 

7 The Sketeher, Blackwood's Magazine, No. 8, [Rev. J. Eagles. ] 



324 chilcott's clifton guide. 

ments are simple and elegant. It contains seats for 
630, of which upwards of 300 are free for the use 
of the poor. It was consecrated by the Lord Bishop 
of Gloucester and Bristol, and opened for public 
worship on Tuesday, April 27, 184L 



CHRIST CHURCH, CLIFTON PARK. 

This new and commodious sacred edifice was 
consecrated by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, 
and opened for public worship on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 
1844. It was built by voluntary subscription, and 
forms the fifth church for the parish of Clifton. 
The patronage is vested in Trustees. 

Christ Church is designed in the early English, 
or pointed style of architecture, which prevailed in 
this country in the 13th century, as exemplified 
by parts of the Cathedrals at York, Salisbury, 
Peterborough, Carlisle, &c. The church comprises 
a nave, with an apsidal chancel, and a north and 
south transept. The chancel is ascended by five 
steps, and is separated from the nave by an arch, 
44 feet high ; the transepts are also divided from 
the nave by arches, 34 feet high. The character- 
istic features of the style, with disengaged columns 
and deeply-recessed moulding, being carried out 
to the greatest extent that the funds at the disposal 
of the Committee would permit. The ceiling is 
open, of wood, appropriately decorated, and texts 



CLIFTON. 

from scripture ornament the walls. At the south- 
west angle of the aisle, is a tower advanced the 
first stage, but waiting the necessary funds for its 
completion. Sittings are provided for upwards of 
1000 persons, including 350 open sittings. 

There is also an elegant chapel erected in 
Richmond Park, originally designed for the use of 
a Baptist congregation, particularly noticeable on 
account of the elaborate richness of its architectural 
details. 

Beyond Richmond Park has been lately built 
a stately row of elegant and commodious houses, 
called Lansdown Place, which it is intended should 
form one side of a square, for which some very 
tasteful designs have been presented, and the 
buildings are already erecting. 



THE ROYAL HOTEL 

Is situated in the Mall, and contains the assembly 
rooms, with suit of card and tea rooms. The whole 
structure has a very imposing effect ; its interior 
accommodations are of the first description, and the 
attention paid by its conductors to the convenience 
and comfort of the visitors, secures their entire 
satisfaction. 



THE BATH HOTEL, 
Opposite the Downs, has long established its re- 



326 chilcott's clifton guide. 

putation : those visitors who have once availed 
themselves of its hospitable entertainments, require 
no other inducement, when again called to the 
vicinity, to make this house their home. 



There are several very excellent boarding houses 
in Clifton r Sion House, delightfully situated on the 
Downs, commanding views of the most romantic 
scenery, the river, &c. &c. obtains the entire ap- 
probation of its visitors, not more for the beauty of 
the situation, than for the attention and good 
management of the proprietors. 

No. 4, Lansdown Place, a newly erected and 
magnificent pile of building, has been also opened 
as a boarding house. 

The parts of Clifton which are most particularly 
appropriated to occasional visitors are as follow : — 
Royal York Crescent, Prince's Buildings, Paragon 
Buildings, Caledonia Place, West Mall, the Mall* 
Sion Row, Gloucester Row, Portland Place* Boyce's 
Buildings, and Richmond Terrace. 

The Post Offices of Clifton and the Hotwells are 
only receiving houses ; letters are distributed from 
the Bristol office three times a day. Persons at a 
loss to find their friends, will obtain the best infor- 
mation at the Bristol Post Office. 

Clifton and its advantages, as a residence, are 
every day becoming better known and appreciated; 
supplies of every description, from the most luxu- 



CLIFTON. 327 

rious to the simplest article, can be immediately 
procured, and at reasonable prices. In three hours 
the traveller by railroad may reach the metropolis ; 
twenty minutes will place the man of fashion in 
Bath ; one hour and half, and he may find himself 
in the very centre of his pursuits, — Cheltenham. 

The variety of rides, drives, walks, views, scenery, 
rural retirement, commercial bustle, occasional balls, 
concerts, &c. &c. cannot be excelled by any place 
of fashionable resort in the kingdom. 

The assemblies are held every alternate week, 
during the winter season, at the Eoyal Hotel 
Assembly Rooms, tinder the superintendence of C. 
Yaughan, Esq. M. C. and are respectably attended. 
Mr. V. resides at No. 2, Paragon Buildings. 

The subscription Billiard, Card, and Reading 
Rooms, near the Hotel, are well supported by gen- 
tlemen proprietors, and their friends. 



SION SPRING. 
This spring was discovered in 1796, by Mr. 
Morgan, an attorney of Bristol, who, being about 
to build a house on the hill above the Hotwell, 
determined to obtain water, if possible, on his 
premises. With this view, the miners dug and 
blew up the rocks, till they came to the depth of 
two hundred and forty-six feet, before they accom- 
plished their object, when, of a sudden, a stream 



328 chilcott's clifton guide. 

gushed in upon them so impetuously, that they 
had great difficulty in escaping the inundation. 
Mr. Morgan, on discovering that this water had 
the same properties as that of the lower house, 
erected an engine for raising it daily, built a spa- 
cious pump-room, and prepared bathing places 
adjoining. 

Sion Spring now supplies nearly all the inhabit- 
ants on the western side of Clifton with water, to 
be used for domestic purposes. When taken from 
the pump, it raises the thermometer to seventy- 
three degrees, though drawn from so great a depth. 

The Reading Room and Public Library, at Sion 
Spring House, conducted by Mr. Haggett, Jun. 
contains a valuable collection of standard works, 
to which are added every modern publication of 
merit ; a catalogue of the whole may be had at the 
library. Stationery, in all varieties, sold here. 

Mr. Lancaster's Library, at Portland Place, near 
the Mall, is supplied with a very large collection 
of New Books, and with an extensive assortment 
of stationery and useful articles. 

The other Library is conducted by O. C. Lane 
& Co. at Nos. 5 and 6, Sion Place, opposite the 
Downs, and at No. 2, Regent Place ; their cata- 
logue contains upwards of five thousand volumes 
of the most esteemed modern publications, in the 
various departments of literature. 

At the entrance of Clifton Down is an elegant 



CLIFTON. 329 

house, built by Sir William Draper, now the pro- 
perty of Mrs. William Miles, and named Manilla 
Hall; on the right of the entrance is an obelisk, 
with the following inscription : — 

Gulielmo Pitt, Comiti de Chatham, 
Hoc Amicitiae Testimonium, 
Simul et Honoris publici Monumentum, 
Posuit Gulielmus Draper. 

And on the left hand is a cenotaph, consisting 
of a raised tomb, supporting a large vase, with an 
urn at the top, well executed in freestone. On the 
side of the vase are some elegant verses ; and be- 
neath, on a tablet — 

Sacred 

To the Memory of those departed Warriors 

of the Seventy-Ninth Regiment, 

By whose Valour, Discipline, and Perseverance, 

The French Land Forces in Asia 

Were first withstood and repulsed ; 

The Commerce of Great Britain preserved; 

Her Settlements rescued from impending Destruction. 

The memorable Defence of Madras, 

The decisive Battle of WANDEWASH, 

Twelve strong and important Fortresses, 

Three superb Capitals, 

ARCOT, PONDICHERRY, MANILLA, 

And the PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, 

Are lasting Monuments of their Military Glory, 

Their generous Treatment 

Of a vanquished Enemy 

Exhibits an illustrious Example 

Of true Fortitude and Moderation, 



330 chilcott's cliftox guide. 

Worthy of being transmitted 

to latest Posterity ; 

That future Generations may know 

Humanity is the Characteristic 

Of BRITISH CONQUERORS. 

The sides of the tablet are inscribed with the 
names of the officers of the seventy -ninth regiment 
who fell in Asia. At the ends of the tomb, in small 
oval tables, is the following : — 

Siege of Madras raised, Feb. 17. . . . 1759 

Conjeveran taken by storm April 13. . . . 1759 

Battle of Wandewash gained Jan. 22 1760 

Arcot recovered Feb. 10. . . . 1760 

Corical taken April 5. . . . 1760 

The lines of Pondicherry stormed . . Sept. 10. . . . 1760 

Pondicherry surrendered Jan. 16. ... 1761 

Manilla taken by storm Oct. 6. . . . 1762 

Though Sir W. D. was of humble origin, (being 
the son of a custom-house officer of this port,) yet 
his great talents raised him to the distinguished 
rank of a general officer in the British army. He 
was equally adroit with the pen as with the sword. 
With the former, he proved no mean antagonist for 
the celebrated Junius ; and with the latter he con- 
quered Manilla. 

Opposite to Clifton Church is the house of 
William Goldney, Esq. celebrated for its curious 
grotto. To gratify a laudable curiosity, respectable 
strangers may ori Thursdays obtain admission to 
view the highly picturesque grounds and grotto, on 



CLIFTON. 331 

application at the house of the liberal owner, be- 
tween the hours of ten and twelve in the morning. 



ZOOLOGICAL GAKDENS. 

A ramble in these gardens will amply repay the 
visitor for the short extension of his walk, it being 
only a few yards beyond the turnpike on the Clifton 
Down. 

The Gardens are the property of a society com- 
prising nearly three hundred members, and were 
first opened to the public in June, 1836 ; and as they 
were only commenced in the preceding autumn, 
it was a theme of surprise, admiration, and con- 
gratulation, as well on the part of the public as of 
the proprietors. Lying immediately on the margin 
of the Downs, commanding a wide view of the 
finely-wooded banks of the river Avon, and the 
heights crowned by the Observatory — of Tyndall's 
Park and the adjoining country, but little assistance 
was required from the hands of art. 

In adapting the plantations which encircle the 
grounds, as well as those which are distributed 
throughout its interior, to a systematic classifica- 
tion, the committee of management had in view the 
prospect of being able to form, at some future time, 
a Botanic Garden in conjunction with the present 
establishment. The committee have also been 



382 chilcott's clifton guide. 

extremely desirous to render the Gardens attractive, 
as well to the votaries of pleasure as of science, 
and to prepare them as a scene of general recreation, 
so much wanted in this vicinity. 

Of easy access from Bristol and Clifton, a noble 
terrace of nearly three hundred yards in length 
offers to the delicate and infirm, to the infant and 
the aged, a dry and sheltered and sunny walk, 
secured from the perils and interruptions of dust 
and dirt; and the remainder of the Gardens 
present ample shade, and the coolness of lawns 
and lakes, during the heats of summer, to the 
pedestrian who shrinks from the broad sunshine 
of the unplanted Downs. 

The entrance lodges, which invariably attract 
the notice of the stranger, are commended for their 
good taste, and certainly do great credit to the 
architectural skill of the designer. 

The massive building erected for the bears, at 
the extreme end of the grand terrace, strikes the 
visitor immediately upon his entrance ; and at the 
same time that it elicits his admiration, prepares 
him for further pleasure, and enlists his interest in 
favour of the Gardens. 

The menageries are of substantial and orna- 
mental construction; and advantage has been taken 
of the experience of other similar establishments, 
in the system of heating and ventilating, with many 
other improvements in the internal economy of 



CLIFTON. 333 

their arrangements, found to be conducive to the 
good health of the different animals. 

The Zoological collection is, we believe, at this 
time, as extensive and valuable as most other simi- 
lar establishments. 

The lake is universally considered to be the best 
specimen of " ornamental water" in the vicinity ; 
and together with the tastefully erected rock-work, 
that seems, as it were, to rise up from its bosom, 
present a picture of very unique and pleasing 
interest, and cannot fail to call forth the full admi- 
ration of the visitors. 

Our space will not allow us to be more minute 
in our description, and we must close this notice 
with the insertion of the terms of admission, which 
we think for such a treat is exceedingly liberal on 
the part of the proprietors. 

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION : 

Whole Family, (residing in one house) £ 1 1 for 1 year. 

Ditto ditto 15 „ 6 months. 

Ditto ditto 10 „ 3 „ 

Ditto ditto 6 „ 1 „ 

Ditto of a Shareholder 10 6 ,, 1 year. 

Two Persons in one Family 15 „ „ 

One Person 10 6 „ „ 

Ditto 7 6 ,, 6 months. 

Ditto 5 „ 3 „ 

Ditto 2 6 „ 1 „ 

The public admitted on payment of sixpence each person, 

One servant, having the charge of children of any Subscriber, 

admitted gratis. 



334 chilcott's clifton guide. 

Visitors to our delightful village will find the 
cars and flys of great assistance in their little ex- 
cursions : they are in general very well conducted, 
and the charges are moderate. It is well, how- 
ever, to make an arrangement with the master, 
whose name is painted on the carriage, and patro- 
nize one proprietor as much as possible, thereby 
securing attention, civility, and punctuality. 

We now take leave of Clifton, and beg to intro- 
duce our readers to a description of the principal 
villages and seats in the environs of Bristol. 
These we have arranged in alphabetical order, 
that the reader may find the place wanted with 
greater facility. 



ABBOTS' LEIGH, 

Deriving its name from having formerly belonged 
to the Abbots of St. Augustine's, is a village 
situated on the brow of Leigh Down ; and is about 
four miles west of Bristol. Here lately stood an 
old mansion, formerly the residence of Sir G. 
Norton, whose loyalty induced him to conceal King 
Charles II. in his own house, at the hazard of his 
own life, after the battle of Worcester. It is said, 
that when his pursuers made inquiry of the cook- 
maid for him, she, to prevent suspicion, applied 
a stick to the back of poor Charles, and scolded 
him for not winding up the jack : (a block of wood 



abbots' LEIGH. 335 

is still preserved, on which it is said the king stood 
to perform the menial office) this so completely 
deceived the inquirers, that they actually interceded 
in his behalf, and went to search elsewhere for 
the king. From Sir G. N.'s house he removed 
to Trent, in Dorsetshire, and eventually embarked 
for France with Lord Wilmot, both of whom 
assumed the garb of Isle of Wight coal merchants. 

It may be matter of curious observance to note, 
that upon the same spot which afforded a harbour 
and a refuge, in his fallen fortunes, to the son of a 
martyred king, in those stormy and turbulent times 
when bestowing upon him the shelter of a roof 
was denied unto his people, and visited not only 
with reproach and condemnation, but frequently 
by the alienation of estate and the sacrifice of life 
itself, — that here the son of another sovereign was 
recently received and entertained with the charac- 
teristic loyalty and hospitality of our land, which 
still animates and expands the bosom of all classes, 
the poorest as the most wealthy, tending by its 
unanimity to preserve the peace, harmony, and 
happiness of society, and by its continuance to 
surround us with an indomitable fortress, the 
power, greatness, and prosperity of this mighty 
empire. 

The church is a plain building, situated on an 
eminence which commands a beautiful view of the 
Severn. Within the church are some monuments 



336 chilcott's clifton guide. 

of the Norton family, of whom the Thomas Norton, 
renowned for his skill in the occult sciences, and 
who resided in St. Peter's churchyard in the 
fifteenth century, was an ancestor. 



ALMONDSBURY 

Is six miles and a half from Bristol, on the road 
to Gloucester. This village is said to have derived 
its name from Alemond, a West-Saxon prince, the 
father of Egbert, the first sole monarch of England 
(who it is supposed was buried in the church). A 
camp or berg is situated close by, near the Severn, 
— a commanding station. In the year 1650, a 
coffin was dug out of a tumulus at Over, near this 
parish: the bones were those of a man, whose 
height must have exceeded the common stature by 
more than three feet : the corpse was buried sitting, 
which was the customary method of interring kings 
and princes. The church is a very old building, 
and the spire covered with lead. The river Severn 
is a beautiful object seen from thence. 



ASHTON 

From Clifton, crossing at Rownham Ferry, is but 
half a mile, from Bristol over Bedminster Bridge 
is about three, its locality is most pleasing, situated 
in a richly wooded vale, having the lofty ridge of 



ASHTON. 337 

Dundry to the south, and a corresponding range 
of hills to the north. It is famous for its straw- 
berry gardens, for the perfect enjoyment of such 
delicious fruit, with the addition of cream, number- 
less parties flock hither during the season, when 
a band of music is engaged to add to the gaiety 
and amusement of the company. In the village 
there are many comfortable lodging-houses, having 
good accommodation. The church is dedicated to 
All-Saints, and its original foundation is attributed 
to the family of the Lyons: it is divided into a nave, 
chancel, north and south aisles, and two chapels, 
one on each side. A beautiful Gothic screen, 
which formerly supported the rood loft, remains ; 
and in the north chapel is a costly monument, with 
effigies of Sir Richard Choke and his wife. Sir 
Richard Choke, who was chief judge of England, 
died in 1486. Recent repairs and appropriate 
renovations have contributed very much to the 
beauty of this building. 

Ashton Court, the seat of Sir John Smyth, 
Bart., is built on a gentle eminence, in the centre 
of a luxuriantly wooded park, which was originally 
enclosed and planted by Thomas de Lyons, in 
1391, under a licence granted by Richard II., and 
who from that time added the name of Ashton to 
the family appellation. The most ancient part of 
this building was erected by the Ashton Lyons, 
who resided in it, and whose arms and devices 
z 



338 chilcott's clifton guide. 

continue conspicuous on many parts of it. At the 
back part of the mansion the ancient gateway still 
remains, leading from the park to the outer courts, 
in which the Gothic windows, battlements, and 
projecting buttresses, are preserved, and is still 
called the Castle Court. The present front was 
erected in 1634, by Inigo Jones. 8 The entrance 
to this mansion is by a castellated lodge and gate- 
way, from the road leading to Weston-super-Mare. 
A gallery of fine paintings, amongst which is a 
series of family portraits, adds considerably to the 
interest of the interior. 

Above the house is a connodial hill, with a group 
of trees called the " Tump," where are the remains 
of Ashton Camp, occupying a considerable space, 
covered with thorns, blackberry bushes, and other 
underwood. 



BADMINTON, 

The seat of his Grace the Duke of Beaufort, is 
about sixteen miles north-east from Bristol. This 
magnificent mansion is adorned with some fine 
paintings and antique sculptures, and also contains 
a fine library. The parish church was built by his 
late Grace, the sixth Duke, and is much admired. 

8 Rutter's Delineation of the North-West Division of the 
County of Somerset. 



BADMINTON. 339 

It is said that two of the family monuments in 
it were executed in Italy. An affecting monu- 
ment to the memory of the late Duke of Beaufort 
is placed in the private chapel of the Beaufort 
family at Badminton, by his present Grace, whose 
filial reverence and feeling for his lamented sire 
prompted him to erect a magnificent piece of 
sculpture. It is comprised of a plain centre tablet^ 
placed between two very elegant pilasters of un- 
usually pure statuary marble, and resting on a 
broad and noble plinth of vein stone. The 
pilasters, decorated with the portcullis, garter, 
and ducal coronet, support a rich and elaborate 
pediment, the scrolls and foliage of which are of 
excellent workmanship, and are surmounted by the 
arms of the family, carved in bold and beautiful 
relief. The whole repose against a background 
of pure dove marble, the tints of which tone finely 
with the general character of the monument, form- 
ing an ensemble seldom witnessed in designs of this 
description. The inscription is as follows : — 

Sacred to the memory of 

Henry Charles, Sixth Duke of Beaufort, K. G. 

Born Dec. 22, 1 766 ; succeeded his father, Henry, fifth Duke, 

Oct. 11, 1803; died Nov. 23, 1835, in the 

69th year of his age. 

In kindness of heart, suavity of manners, gentleness and 

meekness of disposition, in humility and diffidence of his 
own merits, in integrity of purpose and uprightness of con- 
duct, few equalled — none surpassed him. 



340 chilcott's clifton guide. 

It may be truly said of him, that he was the rich man's friend, 

and the poor man's benefactor. 

In every station of life he shone pre-eminent. 

He was the most dutiful of sons, the kindest of fathers, 

the best of husbands, the most affectionate of brothers. 

He lived diffusing happiness and comfort around him ; his 

death was that of a true Christian. 

He died universally beloved, respected, and lamented. 

In remembrance of his many virtues this tablet was erected 

by his affectionate son, Henry, seventh Duke of Beaufort, 

A. D. 1837. 



BANWELL, 

Sixteen miles from Bristol, was once celebrated 
for its monastic establishment, long since for- 
gotten and passed away. The Bishop's Palace is 
supposed to have been erected on its site by Bishop 
Beckington, who flourished during the middle of 
the fifteenth century ; at the commencement of the 
last it lost its ecclesiastical distinction, and became 
known as Banwell Court; the parts of the palace, 
not then demolished, were, with the exception of 
the chapel, removed a few years past, by the pre- 
sent proprietor. There was also a fine park to the 
eastward of the village belonging to the palace. 

Banwell Church is an unusually fine parochial 
edifice, attributed to Bishop Beckington, and, like 
many more, bearing traces of successive extensive 
repairs not always in conformity to the style in 



BAN^JbXL. 341 

which they are designed. Outside it strikes us by 
its loftiness and correct proportions, inside by the 
richness and amplitude of its details. The groined 
roof of the nave and tower, the ornamental oak 
screen, the remains of the rood loft, the stone 
pulpit, the ancient font and the brasses, are all ob- 
jects of abiding interest to the archaeologist and the 
antiquary; to the latter the churchwardens' ac- 
counts, commencing in 1516, will be found very 
curious. 

Banwell Caves are highly interesting objects, 
and will amply repay the curiosity of the visitor. 
They are situated at the western point of Banwell 
hill, immediately above the extensively populated 
village of that name, about one hour's journey from 
Bristol by railway. The late bishop of Bath and 
Wells, who was lord of the manor, erected a neat 
and ornamental cottage, in 1827, for his occasional 
residence ; and with the laudable view of preserv- 
ing the bones, &c. in the Caves, purchased from 
his tenant the lease of the ground, enclosed it, 
and laid it out with ornamental shrubs. From the 
summit of the hill, which is nearly half a mile in 
length, abounding with ochre, calamine, and lead, 
a most delightful and commanding prospect is 
obtained of Brent Knoll, and, of a clear day, Bridg- 
water spire to the south; Congresbury spire and 
Yatton church to the north ; Weston-super-Mare, 
Worle, and the Severn, with tke Monmouthshire 
coast to the west 



342 CHILCOTT's CLIFTON GUIDE. 

To Mr. Beard's intelligence, zeal, and perse- 
verance, the public are indebted for the very in- 
teresting discoveries contained in Banwell Caves. 
His house is on the south side of the hill,- half a 
mile from the caves, where he has some of the 
finest and choicest specimens of bones, &c. pre- 
served in old oak cabinets, and which he feels 
great pleasure in showing to his numerous visitors. 
The sentences which every where meet the eye 
on arriving at the cottage and caves, are admirably 
calculated to awaken and to call into exercise the 
best feelings of the heart. Immediately in front of 
the bishop's cottage, on a tablet in the wall, is 
the following: 

Here once where druids trod in times of yore, 

And stain' d their altars with a victim's gore ; 

Here now the Christian, ransom' d from above, 

Adores a God of mercy and of love. 

And over the small cave at the entrance, 
Here let the scoffer of God's holy word 
Behold the traces of a delug'd world ; 
Here let him in Banwell Caves adore 
The Lord of heaven ! then go and scoff no more. 

There are two principal caves, one larger and 
deeper than the other ; they contain bones of the 
bear, wolf, ox or buffalo, deer or stag, fox, wild cat, 
mouse or bat, &c. How or by what means such an 
amazing collection of bones came there, is a question 
deeply interesting and difficult to determine, and 
about which geologists are by no means agreed* 



343 



BEDMINSTER. 

This parish, which, in ancient times consisted 
of only a few cottages, is now grown so populous, 
and crowded with buildings, as to form a very con- 
siderable addition to the city of Bristol. Before the 
Bristol and Exeter Railroad was formed, it was the 
great thoroughfare to the west of England. It was 
anciently the lordship and estate of the lords of 
Berkeley, and continued in that family during 
several successions. On the western side of the 
road, near the Police Station, the hospital of St. 
Catherine was erected in 1219. 

The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, 
consisting of a nave, chancel, and north aisle, and 
standing a little southward of the village, has flou- 
rished ever since the Saxon days, and has been 
endowed with large revenues. It is a prebend in 
the cathedral church of Salisbury ; and at the time 
of the conquest, the then officiating priest held 
within the manor and parish one hundred and 
twenty acres of land- At the western end is a 
large square tower, with open balustrades at top, 
containing a clock and two bells. On this tower 
once stood a steeple, which fell down in 1563. 

During the civil war, in 1642, 200 horses were 
sent on to Bristol under Commissioner-General 
Ireton, to preserve the neighbourhood of the city 
from plunder and firing, and thus secure quarters, 



344 chilcott's clifton guide. 

when Bedminster church was desecrated by being 
converted into a stable ; it must have been mate- 
rially injured on this occasion, as we find that in 
1663, when peace again smiled over the land, it 
received a very general repair. The chancel win- 
dows are enriched with stained glass, the gift of 
Robert Phippen, Esq. 

The only ancient monument to be found in it 
is on a flat stone in the chancel, to the memory 
of the family of Grinfield, which states that they 
settled here in the second year of Edward I. 

The Rev. Thomas Broughton, author of Biblio- 
theca Historica Sacra, and projector of the Bio- 
graphia Britannica, was vicar in 1774. 

St. Paul's Church, in which a large portion is 
appropriated to free sittings, has lately been erected 
opposite the New Gaol, for the accommodation 
of this populous district, of which the Rev. Mr. 
Eland is the minister. 

A chapel for the Independent Protestant Dissent- 
ers, has also been erected near Bedminster bridge, 
by the late J. Hare, Esq. at his sole expense, with 
an outlay of £4,000, and was opened for divine 
worship by the Rev. Dr. Chalmers, June 15, 1830. 



BERKELEY. 

The ancient family of the Berkeleys are so in- 
corporated with Bristol, that a few words respect- 



BERKELEY. 345 

ing their residence, cannot well be omitted from 
these pages. The village of Berkeley, nineteen 
miles from Bristol, on the Gloucestershire road, is 
much visited for its strong castle, part of which, 
retaining much of its olden character, is liberally- 
thrown open for the inspection of the public. It 
is a place historically interesting, and painfully 
associated with an eventful epoch, from the circum- 
stance of Edward II. being murdered here. The 
room in which the barbarous deed was committed 
is still shown, and if we may believe the annals 
true, there still remains evidence of the crime in 
the blood-stained floor. Adam, bishop of Hereford, 
is notorious for having written ambiguous words to 
the king's keeper to promote the death of the 
sovereign, and yet escape the odium and punish- 
ment of his guilt. The words bear a contrary con- 
struction according to the stops in reading them. 

" To murther King Edward fear : not to do it is praiseworthy." 
" To murther King Edward fear not — to do it is praiseworthy." 

The church is of great extent, and consists of a 
nave, aisles, and spacious chancel, with a chapel on 
the south side, the sepulchre of the Berkeley 
family, in which are some stately monuments, with 
effigies carved in white marble. At a short dis- 
tance, in the churchyard, is a tower which probably 
belonged to the old church. 

Dr. Edward Jenner, who in 1799 introduced 



346 chilcott's clifton guide. 

vaccine inoculation, for which he obtained a grant 
from parliament of £10,000, was a native of this 
parish. 



BLAIZE CASTLE, 

The seat of J. S. Harford, Esq., is situated in the 
parish of Henbtjry, about four miles and a half 
north of Bristol. The approach to the house is 
conducted through a deep and richly-wooded glen, 
and is full of romantic beauty. The house is an 
elegant edifice, and contains many fine pictures, 
collected by Mr. Harford in Italy. The surround- 
ing pleasure grounds are exquisitely diversified 
with wood and lawn, and the walks which conduct 
to and from the castle are fraught with fine views 
and enchanting scenery. The ground-plan of the 
castle is a circle flanked on the outside with three 
round towers, equi-distant, forming a triangle ; in 
one of these is a geometrical staircase, by which you 
ascend to a large and elegant Gothic room. A 
chapel once stood here, dedicated to St. Blazius, 
the patron of the wool-combers. Here are to be 
traced very extensive remains of a strong Roman 
camp, though concealed in a great degree by the 
overhanging woods. Many Koman coins of brass 
and some of silver were found in digging the 
foundation of the castle in 1766, and the present 
owner has at different times found more when 



BLAIZE CASTLE. 347 

employed in planting. The fame of the Blaize 
Castle grounds, and the noble prospects which they 
command, induce so many visitors to request 
permission to view them, that Mr. Harford has 
appointed Thursday in every week, as a day for 
public gratification; and those who wish to embrace 
this opportunity, have only to send their application 
by post, or otherwise, (so that it be received before 
Thursday,) to the gardener, Blaize Castle, or to 
the Gothic lodge at the top of Henbury Hill, after 
which immediate admission will be given, and every 
attention shown them. 

Should circumstances prevent attendance on the 
day fixed, it is necessary to send another notice, as 
a Guide being required for each party it is essential 
to know what number to provide. 

From the grounds of Blaize Castle, the visitor 
will be led to Blaize Hamlet, consisting of ten 
cottages, erected in 1810, at the expense of the 
late J. S. Harford, Esq. for a most benevolent 
purpose. A visit to them has long formed a 
favourite excursion from the village of Clifton and 
city of Bristol. 

"Wh.eth.er regarded distinctly, or in combination with each 
other, these cottages are justly deserving of that public interest 
which they have excited. Each is in itself a truly picturesque 
object; and by means of the skill displayed in their mutual 
contrast, shape, and collocation, they form, from various points 
of view, most pleasing compositions, and offer a variety of 
subjects for the pencil. 



348 chilcott's clifton guide. 

"The air of comfort diffused over these little dwellings; 
the play of light and shadow produced by their projections and 
recesses, which afford shelter to a variety of beautiful creepers ; 
the highly ornamental and varied character of the chimneys ; 
and the beauty of the surrounding little gardens, glittering 
throughout the summer with flowers of the brightest hues, 
and guarded from the intruding hand by hedges of sweetbriar, 
suggest the most pleasing images to the fancy, and shed a 
romantic and poetical character over this favoured asylum. 
The only rivalry we could hear of as existing among its 
inhabitants, was 

'Who should first 
The welcome spring salute, — whose borders shew 
The earliest bloom, the sweetest, proudest charms 
Of Flora.' 

" The interior of these abodes is not less gratifying than their 
external aspect. The rooms are comfortable and well arranged. 
Every cottage has its oven and boiler ; and so equal are they in 
point of accommodation, that each possessor will be found, 
upon inquiry, happy in the persuasion that his own dwelling 
is the prettiest and the best upon the green. 

"The founder of Blaize Hamlet was the late John S. Harford, 
Esq. ; who, after effecting, with equal judgment and taste, a 
series of striking improvements in the romantic domain to which 
it is an appendage, gratified at once, by this final work, his love 
of the picturesque, and his feelings of benevolence. His object 
was to provide a comfortable asylum for persons advanced in 
years, and who had a sufficient income to maintain them 
comfortably, when relieved from the expense of house rent. 
He did not long survive the completion of the plan ; but it was 
his delight, as long as his health permitted, to visit a spot in 
which he had been the means of centering so much happiness. 

"These cottages were erected in the year 1811, from the 
designs of John Nash, Esq., whose name is well known to 
the public, as the architect principally concerned in the recent 
improvements carried on in the metropolis. It is due to him 



BRISLINGTON. 349 

to add, that he entered with lively interest into the project ; 
and has often been heard to say, that no palace which he ever 
planned, had imparted to him a pleasure comparable to that 
which he derived from this humble employment of his talents 
and ingenuity." 9 



BEISLINGTON 
Lies about two miles and a half south-east from 
Bristol, on the road to Bath. When the gate called 
Xew Gate, in Bristol, was ordered to be removed, 
a gentleman of Brislington had the materials con- 
veyed to his estate and there re-erected ; having 
previously obtained some ancient statues, once 
affixed to Lawford's Gate, and formerly belonging 
to the Castle. These relics are still to be seen, 
and we hope they may not be again disturbed. 

A gentleman resides here, who has collected 
drawings and remains, portraits, &c. relating to 
ancient and modern Bristol, to a very great extent. 

In the church is a tomb-stone, with the following 
inscription : — 

1542, Thomas Newton, aged 153. 

This stone was newly faced in the year 1771, to perpetuate 

the great age of the deceased. 

It is supposed that the figure 1 was prefixed on the 
old monument in the way of sport, as no tradition 

remains of this venerable man. 

9 From the introduction to a very splendid series of 
lithographic engravings of these cottages, by Harding, from 
drawings by O'Xeil. 



350 chilcott's cltfton guide. 

King John, at the request of Isabel his wife, 
granted this manor (attached to the honour of 
Gloucester and Castle of Bristol) to Sir John de la 
Warre ; one of whose successors is stated to have 
been present at the battle of Poictiers. In 1328, 
a petition was presented to parliament at the suit 
of John de la Warre, complaining that the manor 
of Bristleton, which then and always was without 
the bounds of the king's chase, called Kingswood, 
and also that of Fillwood, had been included within 
the said chases by the wardens thereof. One of 
the lords de la Warre founded a chapel here to the 
honour of St. Anne, the height of which to the 
vaulted arch was eighty feet, having nineteen but- 
tresses. Particular mention is made of this chapel 
by William Wyrcestre. St. Bartholomew's priory, 
in Bristol, was purchased by the executors of 
Robert Thorne, of Sir Thomas West, and Lord 
de la Warre, its patrons, in the reign of Henry 
VIII. It has been stated that Robert de Gourney, 
founder of Gaunt's Hospital, was also named De 
Warre, or De la Warre. Sir John de la Warre 
was also of Knowle. 



BROCKLEY, 

So celebrated for its beautiful Combe, is the resi- 
dence of John Hugh Smyth Pigott, Esq.the Lord of 
the Manor, whose family mansion is adorned with 
a fine and admirable collection of paintings, some 



BURNHAM. 351 

of which are choice specimens of modern artists. 
In the drawing room are the celebrated chairs on 
silver castors, which belonged to Cardinal Wolsey, 
and were in his palace at Esher- The library 
comprises 6,000 volumes of rare and scarce books, 
besides several extremely valuable ancient manu- 
scripts. Articles of virtu and interest are to be 
found in each apartment ; amongst the furniture 
may be noticed Napoleon's chairs and couch, from 
Mal-Maison. 

The church is small, but elegantly and appropri- 
ately fitted up with rich and elaborate carvings, 
for which, a fine toned organ, and other furniture 
and decorations, it is indebted to the munificence 
of Mr. Pigott. 

For fine romantic effect and rude grandeur, the 
ravine called Brockley Combe can scarcely be 
surpassed, being a remarkable glen, with loftly 
acclivities on each side, where vegetation is most 
luxuriant, and trees of all shapes and character 
are scattered in the most interesting confusion. It 
is so well known to the artist, or amateur, and 
parties of pleasure, that enlarging our pages by 
any attempt at description would be superfluous. 
From Bristol it is rather more than eight miles. 



BURNHAM 

Is two miles west of Highbridge and twenty-seven 



352 chilcott's clifton guide. 

from Bristol, situated at the mouth of the river 
Parret. It is celebrated not only as a fashionable 
watering place, but also for its chalybeate and sul- 
phuric springs. In the parish church is a very 
handsome marble altar-piece representing the na- 
tivity, designed and sculptured by the famous Inigo 
Jones, which the visitor will do well to see. It 
was presented to the parish by a late bishop of 
Rochester, who had formerly been rector of Burn- 
ham. 



CHEDDAR. 

The village of Cheddar consists of four irregular 
streets, with an hexagonal market-cross nearly in 
the centre. The population is about two thousand. 
Some distance beyond are the celebrated Cheddar 
Cliffs, a stupendous chine or chasm through the 
highest ridge of the Mendip Hills. 

The approach from the village is extremely 
picturesque and beautiful; "a brook, clear as crys- 
tal, leads its murmuring course by the side of the 
road on the left, backed by a shrubby wood, at the 
edge of which are a few humble cottages ; and on 
the opposite side, the ground swells into a steep, 
sufficiently covered, however, with verdure and ve- 
getation to form a soft feature in the scene : but as 
the visitor advances, the abyss suddenly expands, 
the rocks assume a more precipitous character, 



CHEDDAR. 353 

presenting bold and almost perpendicular points 
with bare and rugged tops, towering many hundred 
feet above the level of the country." 

The visitor is not, however, permitted to enjoy 
or contemplate the scene without perpetual inter- 
ruption from the resident females, who unremit- 
tingly persevere in offering for sale small polished 
specimens of the rocks, or in recommending a 
visit to the several caves, few of which are either 
striking or capacious. From a ledge of rock, in 
front of the entrance to the cave above that which 
had formed the comfortless habitation of a poor . 
woman for many years, the view amply compen- 
sates for the roughness of the ascent; being 
considerably heightened by a bold insulated mass 
of rock, rising perpendicularly in front, on the 
opposite side of the chasm. 

There is here also a most extraordinary and in- 
teresting stalactite cavern, recently discovered by 
Mr. Cox, on his own property, in the valley leading 
to the cliffs. It has one main porch and three or 
four lateral branches, narrow fissures about ten or 
twelve feet broad, and some thirty or forty feet 
high, vested and draped with the most fantastic 
and beautiful marble stalactite one can conceive, 
forming festoons, drapery, pillars from four to fif- 
teen feet in height, fonts or basins of the purest 
water, bacon, bread, &c. &c. The floor, when dis- 
2a 



354 chilcott's clifton guide. 

covered, was a mass of stalagmite covering rounded 
gravel, of tlie mountain stone, filling up about ten 
feet of the bottom. The owner has cut galleries 
through this stalagmite ; and is an excellent show- 
man, lighting the whole with a group of candles 
on a tin plate, which he raises to the roof, or thrusts 
through the narrow fissures, so as to exhibit the 
whole to perfection. 

It has been remarked by many visitors, that the 
interior parts of this cavern resemble the grotto of 
Antiparos, in the Archipelago. It is so perfectly 
clean and easy of access, that the most timid and deli- 
cate female may explore it without inconvenience. 

A rough carriage road winds for nearly two 
miles through the cliffs, until it reaches the summit 
of the hills, presenting various advantageous points 
for viewing the wild and tremendous magnificence 
of the scenery; the rocks alternately projecting on 
one side, and receding on the other, and on either 
hand rising almost perpendicularly into the most 
wild and picturesque forms; sometimes resembling 
the " ruined battlements and solitary towers of a 
stupendous castle," having their perpendicular 
fronts partially covered with ivy, and beautifully 
intersected by verdant ledges, scattered over with 
the mountain ash and darker yew, intermingled 
with the crimson mountain pink, and other flower- 
ing shrubs peculiar to this romantic district. 



CHEDDAR. 355 

Nine considerable springs, 10 pure as crystal, 
burst from the foot of the rocks, and almost imme- 
diately uniting together, form a beautiful stream, 
dashing over a rough bed of sand, mixed with 
shingles, and sprinkled with fragments of rock, 
over which the water murmurs, keeping in perpetual 
motion the curious aquatic plants, 11 with which its 
surface is covered; and these mingling their 
deeper shades with the blue and amber-coloured 
cone of the fresh water limpet, that adheres to the 
rocks scattered over its bed. 12 

A paper by Mr. W. Long was read at the meeting 
of the British Association, at Newcastle, descriptive 
of a bone cavern near Cheddar, containing human 
as well as other animal bones. The fact of human 
bones being found embedded in any old formation 
is of rare occurrence, especially when found in 
connexion with extinct animals. The cave is in 
a limestone rock, about thirty feet deep, which on 
entering has the appearance of lofty chambers 
tapering into an arch-way, which again opens into 
lofty chambers, on the bottom of which are found 
human skulls and bones, mixed with those of bears, 
deer, oxen, &c. embedded in soil, and evidently of 
remote origin. 

10 The water which, forms the springs at Cheddar is, probably, 
sl stream which shrinks into the chasms of the rock above, at 
Longwood, and in another place, on Charter House farm. 

11 Particularly the Polypodes, Asplenums, and Confervas. 
l * See Rutter's Delineation of the County of Somerset. 



356 chilcott's clifton guide. 

CHEPSTOW, Monmouthshire, 
Is three miles from Aust Ferry, on the Beachley 
side. Since the establishment of steam vessels, 
Chepstow has been much frequented; having in 
its immediate vicinity the ruins of a stately castle, 
and the romantic neighbourhood of Piercefield, 
Wynd Cliff, Tintern 13 Abbey, the Banks of 
the Wye, &c. &c. One of the towers is built on 
the edge of a rock, over-hanging the river Wye. 
Here, covering the structure from the foundation, 
the festooned ivy has luxuriantly spread, and, com- 
bining with both, could almost seem to make one 
coeval with the other. The eastern entrance to the 
castle lying between two lofty towers, approached 
by a gentle acclivity, indicate the care and labour 
bestowed upon its fortification, as seen in the pon- 
derous strongly-latticed portals, the crossing of 
which are secured with iron bolts within, and 
covered with iron plates without. The groove in 
which the portcullis worked still retains its original 
appearance, and there may also be observed two 
large round funnels or machiolations in the soffit of 
the arch, for the purpose of throwing down stones, 
or pouring down molten lead, &c. on the heads of 
the assailants. Henry Marten, one of the regicides 
who presided at the condemnation of Charles L, 

13 See Tintern and its Vicinity, illustrated with numerous 
diagrams, wood engravings, &c. by W. H. Thomas, Surgeon, 
M. R. C. S., published by J. Chilcott, Bristol. 



CHEPSTOW. 357 

was confined in this castle for life. The ancient 
keep is distinguished as Henry Marten's tower, 
containing the gloomy noxious dungeon in which 
prisoners of war were said to have been incarce- 
rated. One of the now roofless apartments is tradi- 
tionally assigned as the abode of the regicide for be- 
tween twenty and thirty years, till death released him. 

This fortress was of great importance during the 
civil wars, and the scene of many violent and gory 
conflicts. At its last siege, when it was taken by the 
parliament, in the year 1648, Sir Nicholas Kemeys 
and about forty men were slain by the republicans. 
So excited were the soldiers on this occasion, that 
they barbarously cut the flesh in stripes from the 
body of Sir Nicholas, and wore them like cockades 
in their caps, repugnant and loathsome favours of 
their sanguinary triumph. 

It is difficult, so hardly have- years dealt with 
this fabric, so vividly has ruin left the impress of 
its annihilating power on all around, to distinguish 
in the shells of the apartments scarce a vestige to 
which their original purposes might be traced. 
Where are the cloudy trophies of the victor's 
triumph ? Where the thousands of the great and 
powerful, who, flushed with war's excitement, once 
mingled here in the glittering pageantry? The 
breath of their short lives is but as a flash of 
thought, lighting the records of time's deep gulph, 
and its shadow are the ruins which lie mouldering 



358 chilcott's clifton guide. 

at our feet. A power mightier than man has 
waged against the massy fortress, and laid it waste ; 
the dissolving hand of centuries has touched it; 
the shroud of mutation has enfolded it; and 
behold ! there are heaps of stones, crumbling walls, 
clinging ivy, rank grass, noxious weeds, rottenness, 
decay, wildness, desolation, and loveliness; time's 
epitaph on man's ambition, traced by the finger of 
ruin on the relics of feudal magnificence. 

Topographical writers differ as to the antiquity 
of the castle. It was formerly, however, of great 
extent, as according to Leland's account, the 
"waulleS began at the end of the great bridge over 
Wy." The chapel belonging to the castle has 
some Saxon arches, constituted in part of Roman 
bricks, which declare it to have existed prior to the 
general building : it is said that the priests had the 
address to impose on the people, that it was erected 
by Longinus, a Jew, father of the soldier who pierced 
the side of Christ! The iron bridge, of five 
arches, built in 1816, cost £20,000, to pay which 
a rate was levied on the counties of Gloucester and 
Monmouth; the centre arch spans one hundred 
and twelve feet. The original church, a beautiful 
old building of Norman character, was formerly an 
alien priory of Benedictine Monks to the Abbey of 
Cormeil, in Normandy, and has, within these few 
years, been very much enlarged. The remains of 
Henry Marten were originally deposited in the 



CHEPSTOW. 



359 



chancel, but have been removed into the body of 
the church, at the instance of a former incumbent, 
who declared that the body of a regicide should 
never disgrace the chancel of that church of which 
he was the vicar. In the north transept the follow- 
ing acrostical epitaph, written by himself, ap- 
pears: — 

Here, Sept. 9, 1680, 
was buried 
A TRUE-BORN ENGLISHMAN, 
Who, in Berkshire, was well known 
To love his country's freedom 'bove his own ; 
But being immured full twenty year 
Had time to write, as doth appear, 

HIS EPITAPH : 

Here or elsewhere (all's one to you, to me,) 
2?arth, air, or water, gripes my ghostly dust, 
None know how soon to be by fire set free : 
deader, if you an old-try 'd rule will trust, 
You will gladly do and suffer what you must. 

My time was spent in serving you and you, 
y^nd death's my pay, it seems, and welcome too ; 
Revenge destroying but itself, while I 
To birds of prey leave my old cage and fly : 
Examples preach to the eye — care then (mine says) 
Not how you end, but how you spend, your days. 

King Edward I. once visited Chepstow, on the 
following occasion : In order to settle a contest be- 
tween Edward and Llewellyn, a prince of Wales, 
the former appeared upon Aust Cliff; the latter 



360 chilcott's clifton guide. 

stationed himself at Beachley, upon the opposite 
shore, without either of them moving to meet the 
other. Edward at length entered a boat, and or- 
dered it to be rowed across. Llewellyn, struck 
with this instance of magnanimity, as soon as the 
boat approached, quitted instantly the spot upon 
which he stood, threw off his robe of state, and 
darting into the water, to the height of his breast, 
he laid hold of the boat, addressing his rival thus : 
" Most wise king, your condescension has over- 
come my pride, and your wisdom triumphed over 
my folly : tread upon that neck which I had lifted 
against you, and enter the land which you have 
made your own. 55 Nothing less than carrying 
Edward to land upon his shoulders would satisfy 
the Welsh prince ; and upon Edward's landing, he 
did him homage as his vassal. 

Visitors landing from the steam packet, should 
their time be short, may have conveyances toPiERCE- 
field, Wynd Cliff, and Tintern Abbey; or plea- 
sure boats to Tintern may be immediately procured. 

Piercefield Park, is one mile from Chepstow. 
The house contains many handsome rooms, and 
some beautiful specimens of tapestry; but the 
greatest attraction of this celebrated estate is the 
view from its walks, which are most romantic and 
diversified. The walks extend from Chepstow 
Castle to Wynd Cliff. The most picturesque 
scenery may be seen from the points named the 



TINTERN ABBEY. 361 

Alcove, the Platform, the Grotto, the Lovers' 
Leap, Paradise Seat, Piercewood Top, and the 
Doable View, which is a natural diorama. That 
Piercefield is more frequented by visitors than 
even Stow or Blenheim, is not surprising ; for 
while the boast of these princely domains are the 
beauties of art, Piercefield exhibits in the richest 
abundance the magnificence of nature. 

The view from the summit of Wynd Cliff 14 
is generally considered to be the most beautiful in 
England. From the edge of a rock, nearly a thou- 
sand feet high, the prospect extends into nine 
counties. The Wye under the feet of the beholder 
— the Severn beyond it — the narrow separation for 
several miles between the two rivers — their union 
at the head of the little peninsula of Beachley — 
the sea in the distance — the mountains of Brecon 
and Glamorgan — the Gloucestershire and Somer- 
setshire hills — the Castle and cliffs at Chepstow — 
the numerous vessels — and the rare combination 
of evergreens, rocks, ruins, woods, hills, valleys, 
plains, and water, defy all adequate description, 
except perhaps from the magic pen of the author 
of Waverley. This commanding pinnacle of ob- 
servation (which is three miles from Chepstow, 
and two from Tintern Abbey) is daily the source 

14 A gun being fired from the summit of this Cliff, the sound 
reverberates from rock to rock, and is carried up and down the 
river, until by degrees it dies away like distant thunder. 



S62 CHILCOTT'S CLIFTON GUIDE. 

of admiration and delight to numerous visitors, 
who resort to it from all parts, by the new road 
through St. Aryan's. Immediately below Wynd 
Cliff, at the bottom of the wood, a neat cottage 
has been erected, the interior of which is entirely 
lined with moss, and furnished in the rustic style. 
Here the weary traveller will find every attention 
paid to his wants and comfort, which it is in the 
power of the humble inmates to give him. 

The interior of Tintern Abbey cannot be seen 
on Sundays. The sensations occasioned by a sight 
of the Abbey, are prettily expressed in the follow- 
ing lines: — 

" How many hearts have here grown cold, 

That sleep these mouldering stones among ; 
How many beads have here been told, 
How many matins here been sung. 

" On this rude stone, by time long broke, 
I think I see some pilgrim kneel ; 
I think I see the censer smoke ; 
I think I hear the solemn peal. 

" But here no more soft music floats ; 
No holy anthems chanted now ; 
All hush'd, except the ring-dove's notes 
Low murmuring from yon beechen bough/ ' 

For a more ample description of these celebrated 
regions of the picturesque, we must refer the reader 
to Archdeacon Coxe, and to the author of " The 
Banks of the Wye." 



363 



CLEVEDON, 

In Somersetshire^ twelve miles and a half west of 
Bristol, is not only celebrated for the fine and ro- 
mantic views which it affords, but for the delightful 
prospects which meet the eye during the whole 
of the coach road thither. It is situated a few miles 
south-west of the mouth of the Avon, and has ac- 
quired a considerable degree of importance as a 
watering place; hotels having been recently erected 
to accommodate its numerous visitors, as well as 
detached villas and other residences, on the slope 
of the hill, commanding delightful views of the 
coast, the Steep and Flat Holmes, &c. &c. 

Among the objects of attraction are the ruins of 
Walton Church and Walton Castle. There are also 
many very pleasant walks in the vicinity. The 
following description of Clevedon Court is extracted 
from Chilcott's Clevedon Guide : — 

"This ancient mansion is the seat of Sir Charles Abraham 
Elton, Bart., beautifully situated on the coast of the Bristol 
Channel, about twelve miles from the city of Bristol. The 
manor belonged to a family which used the local name from 
the reign of Henry the Second to that of Edward the Third, and 
then passed by heiresses, through the names of Hogshaw and 
Lovell, to that of Wake. The first of the latter family here 
seated was Sir Thomas Wake, a gentleman of the Privy Chamber 
to King Edward the Fourth. His descendants were afterwards 
baronets ; and from a junior branch of them sprang William 
Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1715-1737. Clevedon 
passed from the Wakes about the reign of Charles the First, to 



364 chilcott's clifton guide. 

John Digby, Earl of Bristol ; and from that family it was pur- 
chased by Sir Abraham Elton, who was created a baronet in 
1717, and who was great great-grandfather to the present pos- 
sessor. 

" The county of Somerset abounds with the remains of ancient 
court and manor-houses, of which the present is unquestionably 
one of the most valuable, exhibiting a noble simplicity and cor- 
rectness of design. It was built during the occupancy of the 
Clevedons, in the reign of Edward the Second. Its external 
design is remarkable for the breadth and boldness of the porch 
and the long window, between which is the only other window 
by which light is admitted on the south side. The ancient 
chimneys and turreted pinnacles are interesting specimens of 
their age. The kitchen was rebuilt in the reign of Elizabeth, 
and possesses considerable merit : its prevailing ornaments are 
imitated from an older style — an example which was neglected 
by the architect who was afterwards employed on the other 
side of the building ; whilst, as if to prove that taste in archi- 
tecture could sink still lower, the west front was, during the 
last century, rebuilt in the Chinese Gothic fashion. 

" The interior of the hall has been modernised, excepting the 
space under the gallery ; which, with the arches of entrance, 
retains the original triple doorways leading to the kitchen and 
its offices. On the northern side is the fire-place, with a window 
immediately above it, now filled with the royal arms of England 
from Egbert to George IV. On the western side of the hall is 
a carved stone doorway, conducting to the apartments on the 
6ide of the mansion, through a wall of great thickness. 

"The ancient portion still exhibits so solid and durable a 
character, that the external alterations which the building 
underwent in the sixteenth century, must surely be ascribed 
rather to a preference for the style of architecture which belonged 
to the period first named, and which was characterised by broad 
and lofty windows, with many mullions, than to any decay in 
the strength of the original edifice, or any deficiency in the 
dimensions of its apartments ; and this opinion seems corrobo- 
rated by the fact, that the walls of the principal members were 



CLEVEDON. 305 

not demolished, but only altered, and perhaps a little heightened 
and the singularly-formed pediments by which they are sur- 
mounted, were made to out-top the roof of the magnificent hall, 
whose gable was never very prominent above the parapet. A 
far more sweeping alteration was made on the side of the offices, 
which were probably enlarged and extended on all sides, beyond 
their ancient limits ; but age has rendered these venerable ; and 
their design is so handsome, that they cannot be viewed without 
admiration. We will not condescend to describe the alterations 
®f still later date on another side of the house. Walpole, who 
viewed with admiration his own architectural productions at 
Strawberry Hill, and those of a kindred genius at Arno's Vale, 
near Bristol, might have applauded the attempt of his contem- 
porary at Clevedon Court.' ' 

The old village church stands on Clevedon 
Point, a small distance from the precipitous cliffs. 
It is a small cruciform building, with a tower in 
the centre, and quite incapable of accommodating 
one third of the present population of Clevedon. 
In consequence of which a new church has been 
built in a more central situation, for the convenience 
of those residents and visitors who reside in modern 
Clevedon, chiefly by the contribution of G. W. 
Braikenridge, Esq., of Broomwell House, Bris- 
lington, whose son is the present incumbent. 



COTHAM, 

Situated between Redland and Kingsdown, is 
about three quarters of a mile from the Exchange, 
Bristol, and contains the residences of many highly 



3(36 chilcott's clifton guide. 

respectable families. There is an observatory seventy- 
feet high, in the grounds near Gotham House, which 
commands an extensive panoramic view. A new 
dissenting chapel of the Independent denomination 
has been recently opened here. 



DUNDRY, 

Five miles from Bristol and fourteen from Bath, 
from its elevated and commanding situation is at 
once an object of attraction to the artist, the geolo- 
gist, and especially to the admirer of nature, as 
affording on a clear day one of the most enchanting 
panoramic views from its tower in the west of 
England. The cities of Bristol and Bath to the 
north and east are both in view; the hills about 
Calne and Devizes, seen above the former, bound 
the prospect. To the right of Bristol are seen the 
hills near Berkeley and Stroud, in Gloucestershire, 
and the view extends to the Malvern summits. 
From north to west the Severn, with the Welsh 
coast and mountains for nearly forty miles in length, 
and the Quantock hills, near Bridgwater, appear to 
view. To the south the eye ranges over a rich 
and beautifully varied country, and sees Stourhead, 
Knoll Hill, and Clay Hill, near Warminster, bounded 
by the high lands in the vicinity of Shaftesbury. 

The tower of Dundry Church is one hundred 
feet in height, and much resembles the tower of 



THE HOLMES. 367 

St. Stephen's, Bristol. The architectural character 
of the diminutive church adjoining, is of a 
much earlier date. The tower is regarded by 
the old inhabitants of Bristol as a sort of 
barometer; for looking at the state of the clouds 
in its vicinity, they generally know what weather 
to expect. In the churchyard is a stone shaft 
twelve feet high, placed on circular steps, which is 
evidently the remains of an ancient cross. 

The church, which was probably built in the 
twelfth century, dedicated to St. Michael, consists 
of a nave, south aisle, and chancel. It is particu- 
larly diminutive in contrast with its lofty and 
well-built tower, which was built in 1482. The 
living is annexed to Chew Magna, and is in the 
deanery of Redcliff and Bedminster. Before the 
porch is a large and massive stone called the " Dole 
Stone," so named we believe because the poor were 
anciently paid on it. 



FRENCHAY, Gloucestershire, 
Is four miles north-east of Bristol. Most of the 
houses are built of freestone, and have a handsome 
appearance. An immense petrifaction, in the form 
of a muscle, weighing two tons, taken from a quarry 
at Downend, is placed at the east end of the common. 

THE HOLMES. 
The Flat Holme, — An island in the Bristol 



388 chilcott's clifton guide. 

Channel, is eight miles distant from the Somer- 
setshire coast, nearly opposite Weston-Super-Mare. 
It is a favourite termination to aquatic excursions 
from Bristol, and a place of considerable resort 
in the summer. In circumference it is about one 
mile and a half, sixty acres of which comprise a 
dairy farm, the farm house being also an inn, 
and form only one habitation. Upon the most 
elevated part of the island, is a light-house eighty 
feet in height, with a revolving light, a welcome 
object to the anxious mariner, when the shades of 
evening gather over his trembling bark. 

There are two graves on the Flat Holme, which, 
contrary to all received usages of ancient sepulture, 
are dug north and south. These, it is considered 
probable, are the graves of two of the descendants 
of Tracy, who founded the Abbey of Woodspring 
in expiation for the murder of Thomas a Becket. 
If the murderers who smote the anointed Primate 
of the Holy Church be here consigned to oblivion, 
perhaps feelings of the direst remorse might have 
actuated them in desiring to be buried contrary to 
the usual direction of Christian graves. 

The Steep Holme. — About three miles to the 
south of the Flat Holme, is a rock one mile and a 
half in circumference, whose summit rises four 
hundred feet above the level of the water. It is 
accessible only from two narrow creeks on the north- 
eastern and south-western sides. The soil is barren 



HEXBURY. 



369 



and unproductive, with one native flower, the 
peony, alone to relieve the sterility of the spot. 
There is much historical interest attached to this 
desolate retreat, but the limited pages of a Guide 
forbid our entering upon the subject. 



HENBURY 

Is an extensive and very pleasant village, about 
five miles north of Bristol. It is bounded on the 

east by Almondsbury ; on the west by the Avon ; 
on the north by the Severn ; and on the south by 
Clifton. Many very opulent families reside in this 
village. The church and churchyard are remarked 
for their neat and appropriate arrangements ; in the 
former are many handsome monuments of the 
Southwell (the late Lord de Clifford's) family, and 
others ; and in the latter are a great variety of 
tombs and monumental epitaphs. 

In the year 1623, a school was endowed here by 
Anthony Edmonds, for the gratuitous instruction 
of all children residing in the parishes of Henbury, 
Westbury, Horfield, Redwick, Northwick, and 
Aust. The old school house being found inconve- 
nient and out of repair, a new one has been erected 
near the church, by the present trustees. 
2b 



370 chilcott's clifton guide. 

ILFRACOMBE 

(A direct communication with which is now opened 
by means of the steam vessels) is delightfully situ- 
ated on the north coast of Devon, near the mouth 
of the Bristol Channel. Within the pier, which 
projects into the sea, is a large commodious basin, 
where ships of any burthen may enter, tide permit- 
ting, and rest with perfect security in the most 
violent storms. There are public baths erected 
here for the convenience of hot and cold sea-water 
bathing. Outside the pier are several creeks, 
where there also are many bathing machines. The 
harbour forms a semi-circle, surrounded with hills, 
from the summits of which are many delightful 
views to the east and west ; and in a clear day, the 
coast of Wales, with the island of Lundy, may be 
distinctly seen. 

The entrance into the harbour is particularly 
picturesque and romantic, the stupendous rocks, by 
which it is sheltered and enclosed, impressing the 
mind with a feeling of grandeur and sublimity, 
more especially when the waters are lashed into 
fury and the tempest broods darkly over the hills, 
the scene is most awful and effective. 

One street, about a mile in length, constitutes the 
town ; at the upper end of which is the church. 

There is a public market here once a week, and 
provisions are plentiful and cheap, especially fish. 



KEYNSHAM. 371 

The Britannia Hotel has very good accommo- 
dations, and the lodging houses are numerous and 
let at reasonable prices, 

A handsome new building, consisting of a spa- 
cious assembly room, a news room, and a billiard 
and card room, was opened on the day of the coro- 
nation of George IV. 

The country in the neighbourhood of Ilfracombe, 
though very hilly, is very pleasant, particularly 
towards the east. Watermouth, about three miles 
from Ilfracombe, is the seat of D. Basset, Esq. ; 
generally visited by strangers. At Combe Martin 
are the remains of some mines, from which silver 
was extracted in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 

At Barry cane the scenery is bold and singularly 
striking; but the chief attraction here are the shells 
to be met with. From Ilfracombe to Barnstaple is 
a delightful ride of nine miles distance. 



KEYNSHAM, 

A market town, about five miles from Bristol, on 
the line of the Great Western Railway towards 
Bath, was once noted for its abbey, and also for its 
being the principal seat of the Cangi. It chiefly 
consists of one street of low houses, which is almost 
a mile in length. Here woad is cultivated, which 
is used in dying blue. Very fine specimens of tr^e 
cornu ammoni are found in the quarries here ; they 



372 chilcott's clifton guide. 

are vulgarly said to have been serpents changed 
into stone by Keina, a British virgin saint, from 
whom the town is named. 

A priory was founded here by William Earl of 
Gloucester, in the year 1164, which was surren- 
dered to the crown in 1539, from which period it 
gradually fell to decay, and in 1776 finally dis- 
appeared. 

The church, a large and spacious edifice, was 
appropriated to the abbey, and is first referred to 
as early as 1292. It was much damaged in 1632, 
during a violent tempest, which threw down the 
steeple of the tower and crushed the principal 
parts of the fabric. Its most interesting features 
are the monuments in the chancel, where is a 
ponderous and massy altar tomb, upon which 
reclines the armoured effigy of Henry Bridges, 
Esq., who died in 1586, and on the opposite side 
is a splendid mural memorial, with the kneeling 
effigy of Sir Thomas Bridges, attired in the full 
costume of the court of Charles II. 



KING'S WESTON, 

The residence of P. W. S. Miles, Esq., M. P., is 
about four miles from Clifton, and an object of attrac- 
tion to all visitors. No one ever regretted the time 



king's WESTON. 373 

and labour spent in arriving at the prospect this 
neighbourhood affords ; or having seen it, failed to 
bestow on it unqualified admiration. The house 
originally belonged to the Southwell family, and 
was built by Sir John Vanburgh, somewhat in 
his usual style, but its situation imparts to it a 
more noble and imposing effect than generally 
belong to the designs of this architect. 

Mr. Seyer observes, " This narrow ridge (King's 
Weston Hill), about a mile in length, — covered 
with the finest turf, having on one side the view of 
the Severn and its shore, for twenty or thirty 
miles upwards, bounded by the high lands of 
Monmouthshire, and Wales; and on the other 
side a prospect of the whole vale of Gloucester, 
overlooked by the Cotswold Hills ; — will scarcely 
yield on comparison with any situation in the 
kingdom." 

To the west of King's Weston is a hill called 
Penpold, from which are some beautiful prospects. 
You look down on Kingroad, where wind-bound 
ships lie at anchor, and upon that magnificent sheet 
of water where the Avon forms a junction with 
the Severn, dividing the English from the Welsh 
coast, and forming the Bristol Channel. The blue 
hills of Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire in the 
back ground, complete the picturesque and varied 
effect of the whole. 



374 chilcott's clifton guide. 

LAMPLIGHTERS. 

About a mile from Shirehampton, on the bank 
of the river, situated close to high water mark, is 
a good inn called Lamplighters' Hall, once a place 
of considerable resort during the summer months, 
to witness the busy scene at the mouth of the 
Avon. It was built by a Mr. Toy, a contractor 
for lighting half the parishes in Bristol. The 
worthy distributor of oil and cotton-wick, — for in 
his days gas was unknown, — intended the hall for 
his country residence, having constantly before 
him the romantic and picturesque village of Pill, 
but he grew tired of the smell of the brackish 
water, and the villa became an inn. Philip Weeks, 
nephew to " Jack," of patriotic and Bush-keeping 
celebrity, was "mine host" at Lamplighters for 
many years. It was here William III. landed, 
upon his return from Ireland, after the battle of 
the Boyne. 

Opposite Lamplighters is the little port of Pill, 
where is a custom house, at which all vessels 
leaving the port of Bristol are obliged to take 
their last clearance, and from which they are sup- 
plied with pilots. 



LEIGH COURT. 

This princely establishment is the residence of 



LEIGH COURT. 375 

W. Miles, Esq., M. P., erected at a cost unlimited, 
by his late father. Whether we regard the sub- 
stantial and elegant exterior, or the highly finish- 
ed and classical decorations of the interior, the 
liberality and fine taste of the late worthy possessor 
are apparent. The south is the principal entrance. 
It is an Ionic portico, supported by four massive 
columns; there is a similar portico on the north 
side, and also a piazza to the east. The great hall 
possesses singular architectural beauties. A double 
flight of steps, leads to a peristyle of the Ionic 
order, around which are twenty appropriate marble 
columns, supporting a lofty dome, lighted by painted 
glass. The floor is of chequered marble, on which 
are four magnificent vases from Wanstead House. 
Indeed "Wanstead House and Fonthill Abbey have 
contributed their choicest specimens of art to enrich 
this splendid mansion; and its picture gallery is 
the boast of the West of England : few collections 
in the kingdom can compete with this for rarity 
and value. 

A catalogue of this superb collection, accom- 
panied with etchings, was published by the late 
Mr. Young, engraver, and keeper of the British 
Institution ; from whose prefatory observations we 
extract the following : 

"Among the highly meritorious individuals, who 
have enriched the country with works of ancient 
art, we are in an eminent degree indebted to the 



376 chilcott's clifton guide. 

late R. H. Davis, Esq., for many years one of the 
most attentive and efficient members of Parliament 
that ever represented Bristol ; by whom this collec- 
tion was principally formed, and whose refined 
taste led him to select the finest specimens of the 
Italian school, brought hither during the late 
period of revolutionary spoliation. When these 
pictures had been for some years in the possession 
of Mr. Davis, his friend Mr. Miles, being desirous 
of adorning his noble mansion at Leigh Court with 
a splendid gallery of paintings, contracted with 
him for the purchase of the whole : and, actuated 
by the ardent spirit of his predecessor, he has 
added very many fine pictures from various collec- 
tions, and especially from that of the late Henry 
Hope, Esq. Every facility of introduction is 
afforded by the liberal proprietor to those whose 
taste induces them to visit Leigh Court ; and many 
of the finest pictures in this collection have, at 
different times, appeared in the exhibitions at the 
British Institution, Pall Mall." 

This collection comprises the following inesti- 
mable pieces ; viz. in — 

THE BILLIARD ROOM. 



Conversion of St. Paul 


... Rubens, 


Holy Family 


... Carlo Maratti. 


The Graces 


Titian. 


Virgin and the Infant Christ 


... Sassa Ferrato. 


William Tell 


. . . Holbein. 



LEIGH COURT. 



377 



THE MUSIC ROOM. 

The Cascatelle of Tivoli Gaspar Poussin . 

The Companion Ditto. 

Pope Julius II Raphael. 

Head of the Virgin Correggio. 

Christ entering Jerusalem Paolo Veronese. 

The Vision of St. Jerome Parmigiano. 

Ecce Homo ... ... ... ... ... Carlo Dolce. 

The Virgin and Child Caracci. 

The Adoration of St. Bernard Mengs. 

Joseph and the Angel ... ... ... Guercino. 

St. John ... ... ... ... ... Lionardo da Vinci. 

The Wise Men's Offering ... ... ... Giovanni Bellini. 

St. Peter Guido. 

The Virgin and Child ... ... ... Vandyke. 

The Entombment ... ... ... ... Caracci. 

A Landscape Gaspar Poussin. 

Grace triumphing over Sin ... ... Parmigiano. 

Head of St. John Baptist ... Murillo. 

A Sea Port Claude. 

A Fog ... ... ... ... ... Vernet. 

The Virgin, with the Infant Jesus ... Raphael. 

THE LIBRARY* 

St. John writing the Revelation Murillo. 

St. John ... ... ... ... ... Correggio. 

THE SALOON.f 

The Landing of iEneasJ Claude. 

The Sacrifice of Apollo J Ditto. 

• At one end of this room is a carious pedestal clock, once in the posses- 
sion of Napoleon Buonaparte ; and at the other is a well-executed bust of 
the late Mr. Miles, by Chantry. The two marbled mantle-pieces are particu- 
larly fine, and the ceiling is richly finished. 

t In this apartment are two handsome china vases, and a circular slab of 
verde antique, mounted on gilt dolphins, from Fonthill. 

% From the Altieri Palace. The history and escapes of these paintings 
from the grasp of the French authorities abroad, and subsequently from the 
custom-house officers at home, are not a little singular. It is said that Mr. 
Davis paid Mr. Beckford £12,000 for them. 



378 



CHILCOTT S CLIFTON GUIDE. 



Holy Family 


... Rubens. 


Woman taken in Adultery 


... Ditto. 


"Venus and Adonis 


Titian. 


St. John 


. . . Domenichino. 


THE DRAWING 


ROOM. 


"Virgin with the Infant Jesus ... 


... Raphael. 


Creator Mundi 


... Lionardo da Vinci, 


The Procession of Chaucer's Pilgrims to 


Canterbury 


... Stothard. 


Magdalene ... 


Guercino. 


Landscape 


... Salvator Rosa. 


Christ bearing his Cross 


. . . Raphael. 


Virgin and Child 


. . . Bartolomeo. 


Passing the Ford ... 


... Claude. 


Christ preaching in the Temple ... 


Compano. 


Cleopatra 


Guido. 


Portrait of Philip IV. of Spain ... 


Velasquez. 


The Crucifixion 


... Michael Angelo. 


The Water Doctor 


. . . Gerhard Douw. 


Virgin and Child . . 


... Murillo. 


The Death of St. Francis 


... Correggio. 


Ditto 


. . . Caracci, after ditto* 


Cows 


... P. Potter. 


THE DINING ROOM. 


The Virgin in Adoration 


Velasquez. 


St. John 


Caracci. 


Virgin and Child 


... Andre del Sarto. 


A Storm ; the Calling of Abraham 


Gaspar Poussin . 


The Martyrdom of St. Andrew ... 


... Murillo. 


The Flight into Egypt 


... Ditto. 


Figure of Music 


, . . Romanelli. 


A Nymph Sleeping 


... Domenichino. 


A Jew Rabbi 


... Rembrant. 


A Landscape 


... Salvator Rosa. 


A Sea Port 


. . . Claude. 



NEWPORT. 379 

Diana and Actseon ... Annibal Caracci. 

Susanna and the Elders Guido Cagnacci. 

The Plague of Athens ... ... ... Nichola Poussin. 

Mr. Miles, with true liberality, affords the public 
opportunities for viewing this inval uable assemblage 
of the choicest productions of the most celebrated 
masters; and surely no one, whom business or 
pleasure brings to this neighbourhood, will fail to 
embrace such an advantage. 

To obtain permission to visit Leigh Court, it is 
necessary to address a note to Mr. Miles, at the 
Counting House, 61, Queen Square, on the Mon- 
day previous to the Thursday (the day on which 
the Paintings are viewed,) requesting an order for 
the applicant and three friends, which will be de- 
livered on being applied for at the Counting House, 
on the following Wednesday. [From April to 
July the house is closed] 



NEWPORT, Monmouthshire, 

Sixteen miles from Chepstow, is daily frequented 

by steam vessels from Bristol. This place arose 

out of the ruins of Caerleon. 15 The castle stands 

15 According to some accounts, such was the extent of Caer- 
leon in the days of its grandeur, that it covered a tract of coun- 
try nine miles in circumference. Its splendid palaces, its stately 
edifices, and gilded roofs, might, according to Giraldus Cam- 
brensis, have vied with those of Rome itself. The baths, its 
aqueducts, its stoves, and other proofs of ancient grandeur, 
were even in his time displayed in their ruins. Many coins 
have supplied the cabinet of the curious from this spot. 



380 chilcott's clifton guide. 

on the western bank of the river Usk, at a little 
distance from the bridge : it was apparently erected 
for the defence of the passage over the river, to- 
wards which it has three strong towers. It was 
built with small rubble stone, but quoined with 
square ones ; and has Gothic windows, elegantly- 
decorated. Near the castle was a Roman military 
way, called Julia Strata; and there is a ford in 
the stream, called Nant Hentham, where, it is 
reported, King Henry II. had his freckled face 
benefited; for Merlin Sylvester, the prophet of 
Wales, had predicted that the Welsh should be 
conquered by a prince of such a complexion, who 
should pass that ford. 

The church is built on an eminence, and com- 
mands a fine prospect. On the right from New- 
port is a turnpike road to Pontypool, and on the 
left to Cardiff. 

The commerce and population of Newport are 
greatly increased of late years. As a seaport it 
is safe. Its chief trade is in iron and coal. The 
Monmouthshire Canal communicates here by a ba- 
sin with the Usk river, and by that means with the 
Bristol Channel: and as the Monmouthshire Canal 
again communicates with the Brecon Canal, and 
the Avon, Ebwy, and other railroads, Newport 
becomes the grand depot for the heavier articles of 
trade of that part of the interior of South Wales. 
A commodious dock for vessels is now formed here. 



381 



THE NEW PASSAGE 

Is nine miles from Bristol. A regular communica- 
tion is kept up with the opposite side daily : the 
distance across is three miles. 

The title of Netc Passage arose from its renewal, 
in 1713, after its abolition in consequence of the 
following incident : King Charles I. being pursued 
by a strong party of his enemies through Shire- 
Newton, got into a boat at the Black Rock, (New 
Passage) and was ferried to the opposite shore. 
His pursuers, to the number of sixty, with drawn 
swords, compelled other boatmen to ferry them 
after him ; but these being in the king's interest, 
landed them on a reef of rocks, called the English 
Stones, near the Gloucestershire coast, where they 
were instructed to ford, — indeed the strait was 
fordable at low water — but the tide flowing in 
very rapidly, they were all drowned in the attempt, 
and the king for that time escaped. Cromwell, 
being informed of the transaction, abolished the 
ferry ; nor was it renewed until after a long chan- 
cery suit between an ancestor of the present pro- 
prietor, and the guardians of his Grace the Duke 
of Beaufort. 



THE OLD, OR AUST PASSAGE, 

Is eleven miles from Bristol. A steamer crosses the 
Severn from thence to Beachly, on the opposite 



OOZ CHILCOTT S CLIFTON GUIDE. 

side : and to accommodate passengers in every state 
of the tide, piers are erected. The passage is two 
miles wide at high water. 

King Edward III. presented Wickliffe with the 
prebend of Aust, in the collegiate church at West- 
bury -upon-Trym. John Purney, one of the most 
active of the Lollard preachers, was his curate or 
assistant, and often preached in Bristol. 



PORTSHEAD, 

Ok the head of the port, vulgo Possut, is pleasantly 
situated on the south side of a high ridge of hills, 
finely wooded, which rise immediately from the 
skirts of the Channel, and defend it from the strong 
westerly winds. The shore is very rocky, and in 
some places rises to sixty feet in perpendicular 
height. These rocks are composed of a kind of 
grit stone ; in which is some gypsum ; and on them 
grow vast quantities of kelp-weed. Flat fish and 
shrimps are caught on the beach. 

In the last century a fort was erected here, which 
commanded this part of the Channel ; but it has 
since been demolished, and the foundation of the 
walls alone on which the fort stood remains. 

A very handsome Hotel, together with Marine 
Baths and Reading Rooms, as well as numerous 
houses, have been erected in this much frequented 
and very agreeable watering place. 



REDLAND. 

The church is a good building, with a lofty and 
beautiful tower. The living is a rectory, in the 
deanery of RedclifF and Bedminster, and is in the 
gift of James Adam Gordon, Esq., who has here 
very valuable estates. 

A spring, called Welly Spring, rises on Welly 
Hill, about a mile from the church, and running 
in a small brook through the village, falls thence 
into the main channel of the water mill. 

Portbury Pier and Railroad. — It is in con- 
templation to make a railroad from the Exeter line 
at Bedminster to Portshead, and to have a pier 
at the latter place in connexion with it, for the 
transmission of goods and passengers from vessels 
arriving at Portshead and Bristol at all states of 
the tide. A stationary engine will be placed on 
the Leigh side of the Clifton suspension bridge, 
for the purpose of drawing up the carriages on an 
inclined plane. It is also contemplated to finish 
the suspension bridge, and thus to connect Clifton 
with the advantages of a railroad to Portshead. 



REDLAND 

Is one mile and a half from Bristol, and contains 
many noble houses. The chapel is small and neat; 
it was built and endowed for the convenience of 



384 chilcott's clifton guide. 

the inhabitants, in 1743, by Mr. Cossins, 16 whose 
bust is on one side of the entrance, and his wife's 
on the other, executed in marble by Hysbrack. 
The altar-piece is half an octagon, wainscoted 
into compartments, highly finished, with carvings 
of trophies and festoons, and ornamented with an 
excellent painting of the embalming of Christ, by 
Vanderbrank. The cupola or dome contains one 
bell, which has the following inscription : — " John 
Cossins, Esq., sole benefactor to this chappel and 
bell. — W. E. 1742." Divine service is performed 
here twice every Sunday. 

Redland Court House was originally erected, 
and the grounds laid out, between the years 1730 
and 40, at the expense of Mr. Cossins, a retired 
merchant of London. This property afterwards 
passed from him to Mr. Innes, from whom it was 
inherited by the family of Baker. On Mr. Baker's 
decease, it was sold to Mr. Seymour, from whom 
it was purchased by the late Sir Richard Vaughan. 
It is now occupied by Mr. Edwards, Banker. 

lt) He appears, by the following inscription on a monumental 
tablet in the vestry room, to have been buried within the chapel 
which he founded : — " In the vault under the communion 
table are deposited the remains of John Cossins, of Redland 
Court, Esq., founder of this chapel, who died April 19, mdcclix. 
aged 77 years. 



385 



SHIREHAMPTON. 

The retired village of Shirehampton is below 
the hill of King's Weston, sheltered from the 
north-east and east winds, which renders it a 
desirable winter situation. It is composed of some 
elegant villas ; and its cottages, which have a pretty 
neatness and quietude, are mostly surrounded with 
good gardens and orchards. Being but a pleasant 
walk over Durdham Down and through some fields 
from Bristol, combined with the beauty of its 
scenery, renders it much frequented in the summer. 
Its church is simple and unpretending ; and recently 
erected in the churchyard is a monument to the 
celebrated Captain Shaw, known in the locality as 
"the bold privateer." 



STANTON DREW, 

In Somersetshire, is about seven miles south of 
Bristol. " Its name," says Mr. Seyer, " sufficiently 
shews that it was the Stone Town of the Druids. 
It contains three circles of stones, (besides some 
other stones contiguous to them) which are com- 
monly called the wedding ; a name originating, 
no doubt, in a silly story that the whole company 
at a wedding were suddenly turned into stones." 
" Here stood the bride and bridegroom, here the 
fiddler, here a set of dancers," &c. 
2 c 



386 chilcott's clifton guide. 

" The largest and smallest circles are both situ- 
ated in a field called Stone Close. The great circle 
is three hundred and forty-two feet in diameter, 
within which are only five stones now actually 
standing in their places ; consequently their first 
appearance is not particularly imposing : from the 
very irregular distance of the remainder, it is im- 
possible to say how many they originally were in 
number. 

" Eastward from the great circle is the circle of 
eight, the circumference of which is about one hun- 
dred and fifty feet distant from that of the other. 
The diameter is about ninety-six feet : it consists of 
eight very large stones, four of them erect, and the 
others high above the ground. The workmanship 
of them is far superior to that of the other circles; — 
their appearance is therefore very striking. 

" Next is the south-west circle, called by Dr. 
Stukeley the Lunar Temple, the centre of which is 
distant from the centre of the great circle seven 
hundred and fourteen feet. The diameter is about 
one hundred and forty feet. It is situate partly in 
a field, and partly in an orchard, and consists of 
eleven or twelve stones. 

"North-west from the last circle, about one 
hundred yards distant, is a Cove, ten feet wide 
and eight feet deep, formed of three large flat 
stones, eighteen inches thick. North or north-west 
from this cove are two large stones, lying flat in a 



STAPLETON. 387 

field called Lower Tyning ; and lastly, north-east 
from the great circle, beyond the brook adjoining 
the road, is a very large stone, called HackelVs 
Quoit." — Seyer^s Bristol, 8fc. 

We have been more particular in describing 
these relics of antiquity, (which form a sort of 
miniature Stonehenge) from the attention paid to 
them by visitors. We believe, however, that an- 
tiquarian research has been unable to determine 
when or by whom these and other druidical re- 
mains were first formed. 

Though some of these stones are of the quality 
called the red sand-stone, and others of breccia, yet 
the greater part of them are magnesian limestone, 
which perhaps may account for the depredations 
made upon them for mending the roads. 



STAPLETON 

Is a very neat and clean village, two miles north 
from Bristol, containing a Palace for the Bishop of 
Gloucester and Bristol, and in its immediate neigh- 
bourhood are the residences of many highly re- 
spectable inhabitants. The church is small, with 
a low tower at the west end, adorned with pin- 
nacles, it is situated in the centre of the village, 
and has a pleasing and purely English effect. There 
are several inscriptions in the chancel to the memory 
of the Walter family. 



388 chilcott's clifton guide. 

The river Froom runs through this parish, re- 
markable for its rich variety of wooded banks, 
quaintly fringed with watery foliage, and its surface 
tinged with reflected verdure, affording some of 
the most beautiful and sequestered bits of home 
scenery it is possible to conceive. 

At irregular intervals the rough machinery of an 
old mill, and rustic bridges, and lowly homesteads, 
will break upon the eye — scenes farthest removed 
from the noise and strife of city life. The artist and 
the hunter of the picturesque often avail themselves 
of the tranquil beauties nature has scattered so 
profusely on this part of the banks of the Froom ; 
and the woods, known as the " Duchess's," are 
also favourite walks ; the view from the summit of 
the hill is commanding and extensive. Stoke 
House, to which they belong, is near this village: 
it was once the residence of a former Dowager 
Duchess of Beaufort, and we believe still the 
property of the present Duke. 



STOKE BISHOP. 

About two miles distant, on the road to King's 
"Weston, is Stoke House, — a fine old mansion. 
This part of the road was originally a Roman 
pathway. As the labourers here were removing 
the soil to dig for stones, they found some very 



SWANSEA. 389 

large grinders, or jaw teeth, weighing several 
pounds each ; also some large bones, supposed to 
be the remains of an elephant. 

Near Stoke House may be seen four druidical 
stones, in a field close by the road side. The largest 
is ten feet and a half in length, by five feet and a 
half in width, and two feet and a half in thickness. 
It has the appearance of an altar-stone, from its 
reclining posture : but it has subsequently been 
thrown down on one of the smaller ones, which 
is the cause of its not lying flat. 



STOWEY, 

In Somersetshire, about nine miles south of Bristol, 
is remarkable for a petrifying spring that rises in 
the parish. 



SWANSEA 

Is situated on the southern coast of Wales, in 
Glamorganshire, and is much frequented for sea- 
bathing. Steam vessels from Bristol arrive daily, 
and return to that city as often from thence. It is a 
pleasant watering place, standing in the centre of a 
beautiful bay, on an angle between two hills, which 
shelter it from the cold winds, and allow it an 
opening to the south. Being built on a semi- 
circular rising bank, near the mouth of the river 



390 chilcott's clifton guide. 

Tawe, the town has a handsome appearance from 
the road approaching it: a fine bird's-eye view 
may be obtained from Kilvey Hill, whence the 
whole town is brought into a distinct and beautiful 
perspective, forming an irregular oblong, nearly 
a mile and a half in length, charmingly intersected 
by the meanders of the river, and varied with the 
shipping and small craft that frequent the harbour. 
Swansea is two hundred and five miles from 
London. Its population was, by the last census, 
16,787. It has a considerable trade with Cuba, 
&c, for copper ore, as also some trade to the 
Baltic; and exports annually more than 100,000 
chaldrons of coals. There are very extensive 
copper works and potteries in the immediate 
neighbourhood. 



TENBY, Pembrokeshire. 

As a summer resort Tenby has long been deser- 
vedly celebrated, and its facility of access by means 
of the steam packets which ply regularly between 
it and Bristol, renders it more immediately visited 
from this city and neighbourhood. United to 
peculiar advantages as a bathing place, it possesses 
great attractions for the lover of the romantic and 
picturesque, in the wild grandeur of its coast 
scenery. The antiquary also will find abundant 
materials for investigation in the ruins of its 



TENBY. 391 

numerous and extensive fortifications, and in the 
surrounding desolated mansions, chapels, and 
castles, the legible characters which mark the past 
importance of the locality, and its decline from 
the state of prosperity in which it flourished during 
the mediavel ages. 

The origin of Tenby is involved, like many 
other of the Welsh towns, in great obscurity, but 
it is supposed to be one of the most ancient places 
in the Principality. It is noticed as a place of some 
military consequence in the reign of Elizabeth, 
but its importance ceased with the civil wars, and 
its commercial prosperity, with that of the county, 
suffered from this period a rapid declension. For 
many years afterwards Tenby continued poor 
and insignificant, principally dependant upon its 
fisheries, from the profits of which the pier and 
part of the town are said to be built. The fisheries, 
once a source of great emolument, have since 
become inconsiderable and passed into the hands 
of strangers, traditionally attributed as a punish- 
ment for some crime committed by the inhabitants ; 
however that may be, it is certain that the quantity 
of fish caught near the coast was immense, and 
hence the name Tenby-y-Piscoid. Tenby thus 
remained in comparative obscurity till about fifty 
years since, when its obvious advantages as a bath- 
ing place, the peculiar transparency of its waters, 
and its salubrious and romantic site, attracted 



392 chilcott's clifton guide. 

the attention of families of rank and respectability, 
to whom it is now become a place of favourite 
resort. 

It is seated on the western edge of the fine 
bay of Caermarthen, with a harbour capable of 
sheltering vessels of three hundred tons burthen. 
It is at once remarkable for the picturesque charms 
of its situation, the romantic wildness of its rocks, 
and the excellent condition of its extensive sands. 
The pretty isle of St. Catherine, which may be 
approached at low water, and the various prospects 
to be seen from the promontory, which extends 
nearly half a mile into the sea, contribute to 
render this a favourite spot to every admirer of the 
sublimities of nature. 

Near this is Caldy island, on which a lighthouse 
is erected. Parties visiting this island are allowed 
to ramble over its length and breadth by the worthy 
and obliging resident proprietor. 

Tenby church, one of the largest and finest in 
Wales, is situated about the centre of the town, 
and from its great elevation, with its stately tower 
and tall tapering spire, is a land mark to the far 
off mariner. Its primeval foundation must have 
been of great antiquity, if we may judge from a 
few scattered vestiges, but the alterations, renova- 
tions, and additions of successive generations, have 
left but little of the original character of its archi- 
tecture. 



THORNBURY. 393 

Tenby is greatly indebted to Sir W. Paxton, for 
the erection of hot and cold sea-water baths ; also 
to his exertions in procuring for the town a great 
supply of pure fresh water. 

The rides and walks in the vicinity are numerous 
and beautiful. 

Among other monuments is one to Wm. Eison, 
with the following inscription : — 

Two hundred Pounds, The use of one on cloth 
And 50 more, And coles bestowe 

He gave this towne For twelve decrepid mean 
To help the poore. And lowe. 

Let 50 pounds to five 

Be yearly lent ; 
The other's use on Burges 3 

Sonnes be spent. 



THOENBUEY 

' Is a market town in Gloucestershire, eleven miles 
north-east from Bristol. 

The origin of this place must be very remote, 
since it was the gift of William I. to the famous 
Fitzhaymon. The church is spacious, and built in 
the form of a cathedral, with a high and beautiful 
tower. Here is a free-school, and four almshouses ; 
but what chiefly claims attention in Thornbury is 
its Castle, which was begun by Edward, duke of 



394 chilcott's clifton guide. 

Buckingham. This nobleman, however, did not 
live to complete it, nor the canal he had projected 
to communicate with the Severn ; being attainted 
and put to death in the thirteenth year of Henry 
VIII. The beautiful arched gateway, which is the 
principal entrance into the castle, remains entire, 
and is greatly admired for the excellency of its 
workmanship. There is a remarkably repeating 
echo in the courtyard of this castle. 

The well-known anecdote of Buckingham's 
throwing the water from the king's ewer into 
Cardinal Wolsey's shoes comes in point here — 
that trifling circumstance is said to have been the 
origin of his misfortunes. 



WESTBURY-UPON-TRYM 

Is four miles from Bristol; has a very fine old 
church, containing three aisles, cathedral-fashioned. 
Here Canynges' deanery once stood; it is said that 
parts of that building are now in existence, incor- 
porated with modern work, forming a gentleman's 
seat near the church. The Methodists have a chapel 
here; and a Baptist chapel has also been recently 
erected. The houses in this village are very neat. 



WESTON-SUPER-MARE 

Is situated on the banks of the Bristol Channel ; 
its distance from Bristol is about seventeen miles 






WESTON-SUPER-MAKB. 395 

by rail-road ; from Bridgwater and Wells, twenty 
miles ; and from Bath about thirty. 

An act of parliament has been obtained for 
erecting a pier of solid masonry , commencing from 
the junction of Knightstone road, to the isle of 
Bearnbeck, and extending into the channel at 
dead low water; the whole being little short of 
a mile in length, and of the width of thirty feet 
throughout. 

It was formerly an unimportant village, chiefly 
occupied by fishermen; but the purity of its air, its 
retired situation, its smooth and extensive sand 
beach, its contiguity to Bath and Bristol, have com- 
bined to raise it to the rank of a fashionable water- 
ing place, as well as a quiet retreat to the invalid. 
It is situated in a valley, sheltered by hills, except 
on the west, where it is open to the sea. On a 
summer evening, when the tide is in, nothing can 
surpass the beauty of the surrounding scenery; 
the numerous groups walking on the sandy beach, 
which is upwards of two miles in length ; the ample 
sweep of its capacious bay; the distant coast of 
Wales, with a view of the vessels "warping on 
their way" to and from Bristol; the Steep and 
Flat Holmes appearing, as it were, to float upon 
the surface of the water ; and the reflecting rays 
of the declining sun on the ever-restless waves, — 
produce those cheering feelings which experience 
only can appreciate. 



396 chilcott's clifton guide. 

WICK, or ABSTON and WICK, 
Is in Gloucestershire, about seven miles and a half 
from Bristol; and is resorted to on account of the 
resemblance it bears to the Hotwells, though on a 
smaller scale. Precipitous rocks arrange themselves 
on each side of the little 'river Boyd, in a very 
romantic manner. Many varieties of spars, fossils, 
&c, are peculiar to this spot. 



WRINGTON, Somerset, 

Is about ten miles from Bristol. Zinc (commonly 
called spelter) is found in great quantities in this 
neighbourhood. 

The celebrated John Locke was born in this 
village ,- and near it is Barley Wood, some time 
the residence of the late venerated Mrs. Hannah 
More, who was buried in the church, and to 
whose memory a handsome monument has been 
erected. 

A new church has been built at Redhill, in 
this parish, and was opened and consecrated for 
divine worship on the last day of January, 1844. 



J. Chilcott, Printer, Bristol. 



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